Getting the balance right: the equals sign

Abstract

Much of the number work carried out in primary classrooms contains elements of algebraic reasoning. In fact, equals sign work in junior and senior infants underpins much of the algebraic reasoning used in later years. In the 1st class algebra strand, the Primary School Mathematics Curriculum (PSMC) refers to the need for children to ‘understand the use of a frame to show the presence of an unknown number (e.g. 3 + 5 = q)’. In order to address this objective and set appropriate foundations for later work in equations and inequalities, primary school children must develop a relational understanding of equality.