Construing geometric shapes in a language literacy context: Defining and classifying triangles in Greek kindergarten

Abstract

Some findings deriving from a wider research concerning Greek kindergarteners’ definitions and classifications of geometric shapes are presented in this paper. Our theoretical framework as well as research tools draws from the sociosemiotic approach of Systemic Functional Linguistics, according to which the use of linguistic resources activates meaning systems assumed to be relevant to specific learning contexts. In order to examine how young children make use of their linguistic potential, we set up a learning context related to language literacy pedagogy such as the production of a “book about geometric shapes” intended for other preschool children. Interactions between children and their preschool teacher have been analysed so as to illustrate semantic options relevant to the semantic organisation of geometric, uncommonsense knowledge categories.