Developing Mathematical Vocabulary with Young Children
What difficulties do children have with the four operations?
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Subtraction viewed purely as “take away” rather than the difference between.
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Multiplication as “times” not as equal grouping.
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Division should be conceptually within reach but was normally not taught
alongside multiplication, which led to misconceptions.
Stages in Language Development
Child language
Start with the child’s everyday language involving mathematical ideas. Use pupil
experiences and stories as a source of language about maths. Set up situations
where children have opportunities to use that language in a context, ie:
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Subtraction taught through “lose”, “take” and “eat”.
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Use storybooks ie Frolicking Frogs – get children to write alternative statements,
ie ‘there were five ducks and then one flew away’. Then draw out the language
they use.
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Use storybooks without words. Use folded OHT paper showing ladybirds etc to
demonstrate the inverse nature of subtraction and addition (see examples on the
next page).
Materials language
Encourage children to use new language as they explore an idea with concrete
materials. Pictorial representations will encourage children to expand their language
and develops a clearer understanding of the maths involved.
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Demonstrate Frolicking Frogs in the concrete. Use a mat, put counters on it and
ask questions, ie how many altogether, how many left?

Use Numicon (see below), cover up parts; how many covered up? How many
more do we need to complete a set of ten?
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Medway Numeracy Team
106738344
Addition and subtraction
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Use OHTs of
these grids to
demonstrate
addition and
subtraction
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Multiplication and division
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Mathematical language
Gradually introduce mathematical language, getting children to verbalise their ideas.
Number sense:
 Is informal (playing around with numbers)
 Involves work with quantities rather than symbols
 Is language driven
 Is developed rather than taught
 Relies on context.
Symbols
The final stage is using mathematical abbreviations and formulae, ie +, = etc.
Teachers should make sure that when introducing these they keep relating new
language and symbols back to the child’s language.
Medway Numeracy Team
106738344