Matemaattisen sanaston osaaminen suomea toisena kielenään puhuvilla esiopetusikäisillä lapsilla

Anne Föhr; Heidi Hellstrand; Anu Laine; Eija Väisänen; Pirjo Aunio

doi:10.31129/LUMAT.14.2.3316

Authors

Anne Föhr Helsingin Yliopisto https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1555-0406
Heidi Hellstrand Åbo Akademi https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5677-1811
Anu Laine Helsingin Yliopisto https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3881-8134
Eija Väisänen Helsingin Yliopisto https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4506-2884
Pirjo Aunio Helsingin Yliopisto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31129/LUMAT.14.2.3316

Keywords:

matemaattinen sanasto, varhaiskasvatus, esiopetusikäiset, suomi toisena kielenä, mathematical vocabulary, finnish language learners, kindergartners, early childhood education

Abstract

Suomea toisena kielenään (L2) oppivien lasten matemaattiset taidot kehittyvät selvästi suomea äidinkielenään (L1) puhuvia heikommin ja matemaattinen sanasto on taitojen kehittymisen kannalta keskeisessä asemassa. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin esiopetusikäisten L2-lasten matemaattisen sanaston osaamista sekä sen yhteyttä lapsen ikään, sukupuoleen, kotikieleen ja varhaiskasvatukseen osallistumisen kestoon. Aineisto kerättiin esiopetusikäisiltä L2-lapsilta (N = 100) pääkaupunkiseudulla. Matemaattisen sanaston osaamista tarkasteltiin SMST-kuvasanavarastotestin avulla. Tulokset osoittavat, että matemaattisen sanaston osaamisessa on havaittavissa selkeitä yksilöiden välisiä eroja, joita selittivät osin lasten ikä ja varhaiskasvatukseen osallistumisen kesto. Tyttöjen ja poikien sanaston osaamisessa ei ollut tilastollisesti merkitseviä eroja, kun iän vaikutus vakioitiin. Kotikieliryhmät eivät eronneet toisistaan tilastollisesti merkitsevästi matemaattisen sanaston osaamisessa. Tutkimus antaa uutta tietoa esiopetusikäisten L2-lasten matemaattisen sanaston osaamisen yksilöllisistä eroista, mitä voidaan hyödyntää heidän matemaattisten taitojen kehityksen tukemisessa ja tuen tarpeen arvioinnissa.

Mathematical vocabulary in kindergarten-aged children who speak Finnish as a second language

Children learning Finnish as a second language (L2) have weaker mathematical skills than native Finnish speakers, and mathematical vocabulary plays a key role in this development. In this study, we investigated the mathematical vocabulary of kindergarten-aged L2 children and analysed the relationship between age, gender, home language and duration of participation in early childhood education and mathematical vocabulary. The data were collected from kindergarten-aged L2-children (N = 100) from kindergartens in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The mathematical vocabulary was assessed using the SMST Picture Vocabulary Test. Results show clear individual differences in mathematical vocabulary knowledge, partially explained by children’s age and the duration of their participation in Finnish early childhood education. There were no statistically significant differences in mathematical vocabulary between girls and boys after controlling for the effect of age. There were no differences in the home language groups in mathematical vocabulary. This study provides new evidence on individual differences in the mathematical vocabulary knowledge of kindergarten-aged L2 children, which can be used to support the development of their mathematical skills and to evaluate the need for educational support.

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