Culture and mathematics: a community approach

This paper is based on several research efforts aimed at connecting school mathematics with everyday experiences. In particular it addresses the need to openly question the different values and beliefs associated with different forms of knowledge. It focuses on work done in working-class, minority communities and emphasizes the need to develop school learning experiences that acknowledge and build on the resources and experiences in these communities. The paper discusses two examples along those lines. One centers on a classroom of second graders (7 year olds) in which a learning module on the theme of construction allowed for the development of rich mathematical ideas within a context that was familiar to the students and the community. The second example focuses on working with parents from a dialogic learning perspective. Through the development of a two-way dialogue parents are seen as intellectual resources whose experiences and ideas inform the development of mathematics workshops.