Development of algebraic thinking and study of patterns and regularities with children: scrutinizing possibilities for early childhood education and early years of elementary school

Abstract:

The aim of this article is to analyze the pedagogical possibilities for a teaching that favors the development of algebraic thinking since the early years, assuming the Common National Curriculum Base (BNCC) as a starting point and based on recent literature on the subject. It is an essay in which some theoretical contributions are presented that show that the improvement of reasoning skills and communication of progressively more abstract ideas is related to the challenges and explorations to which students are exposed to from an early age in activities that value creativity and problem solving. It is also emphasized that several researchers have indicated the importance of studying patterns and regularities in Early Algebra, considering the development of algebraic thinking as a fundamental step for learning algebra. The text presents some ideas of pedagogical work with standards and regularities for Early Childhood Education and for the early years of Elementary School based on the indications of BNCC and points out to the importance of highlighting this theme in teacher education.

Keywords: Abstract thinking; Algebraic thinking; Base Nacional Comum Curricular; Early Algebra