The addition with Natural Numbers in support materials for primary teachers paulistas (1981–1988)

Abstract

This article examines how the addition operation using natural numbers is proposed in the first year of the Basic Cycle of Primary School, in the curricular support material entitled Atividades Matemáticas (Mathematical Activities), published in 1981, and in the Proposta Curricular para o Ensino de Matemática (Curricular Proposal for the Teaching of Mathematics), 1st Degree, of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, in 1988,  with the purpose of identifying elements of similarities and differences on the teaching of addition present in these manuals. It was possible to verify that, although created for different purposes, there are common points in these works, especially when it comes to suggest the teacher to offer conditions for students to experience situations that allow them to understand and memorize the calculation procedures through manipulable materials, incorporating students’ daily experiences before formalization. The reflections presented here may represent a basis for further studies on didactic-methodological guidelines on teaching other operations with natural numbers present in these documents.