Abstract

BUTTO ZARZAR, Cristianne  and  ROJANO CEBALLOS, Teresa. Early algebraic thinking: The role of the environment Logo. Educ. mat [online]. 2010, vol.22, n.3, pp. 55-86. ISSN 1665-5826.

Results are reported of a study on early algebraic thinking performed with 9 students of 5th and 6th degree of elementary school, 10 to 11 years old. Two routes of access to algebra are explored: proportional reasoning and generalization processes. The methodological theoretical framework is based on the theory of local models developed by Filloy (1999) and Filloy, Rojano and Puig (2008). The experimental activities involved pencil and paper and the Logo environment. Results reveal that at the end of the study the participant pupils came to understand basic ideas of proportional reasoning describe a pattern and discover a general rule, as they transit from an additive to a multiplicative thinking.

Keywords : early algebraic thinking; generalization processes; elementary school; Logo environment.