ETHNOMATHEMATICS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD: CONCEPT FORMATION THROUGH INDIGENOUS CULTURAL PRACTICES

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze how Indigenous cultural practices can support the construction of mathematical concepts in Early Childhood Education, considering counting, comparison, classification, geometric shapes, and measurement. The investigation employed a qualitative approach based on participant observation, photographic records, field notes, and analysis of interactions among 4- and 5‑year‑old children engaging with cultural artifacts of the Umutina/Balatiponé people in Barra do Bugres, Mato Grosso. Activities took place in cultural spaces and in the classroom, within the scope of the Reading and Writing in Early Childhood Education Program (LEEI), involving object manipulation, exploratory challenges, and group discussions. The results show that mathematics emerged spontaneously when children had access to culturally meaningful materials. They counted seeds, classified objects by color and size, recognized visual patterns in baskets, compared weights and heights, and adjusted proportions while modeling clay. The children’s actions revealed active concept construction mediated by materiality and cultural context, in alignment with the competencies and skills established by the BNCC.