Early differentiation between drawing, writing and numerals during mother-infant picture book reading interaction

GARIBOLDI, MARÍA BELÉN; VIVALDI, ROMINA; SALSA, ANALÍA

Budapest

Congreso; 2016 Budapest CEU Conference on Cognitive Development; 2016

Children construct knowledge about external representations in interaction with adults who operate as mediators of their cognitive processes. Several studies have shown that 48-months-old children are able to distinguish between drawing, writing and numerals. The present study examines the process through which 30- and 48-months-olds differentiate these representations with their mothers in picture book reading interactions. Specifically, we analyze which representational system was the focus of attention, and which aspects of knowledge about representations, their formal propertiesand/or their referential function, were elaborated during the interaction. Twenty-six mothers read a book with either their 30-months-old children (n = 13) or their 48-months-old children (n = 13). The book was designed especially for this study, including in each page drawings of an animal, its written name and the respective numeral for the number of animals depicted (1 to 9). Results showthat dyads of both age groups focused their attention on drawings more than on writing and numerals. However, 48-months-old children and their mothers made significantly more utterances about writing and numerals than the other group. In relation to drawing, dyads talked especially about its referential function, in relation with the identity and quantity of the animals. With regard towriting and numerals, they talked about their formal properties, naming the systems and their units.In spite of the simultaneous presentation of drawings, writing and numerals in the book, mothers did not established relations between the three systems.