“Air is a kind of wind”: Argumentation and the construction of knowledge

This paper explores the use of argumentation by young children. Drawing on transcripts of children's play, as well as planned mathematical experiences for children aged five to seven years in a school setting, a social constructivist approach is employed to described and analyze ways in which argumentation is used by some young children to construct knowledge. Implications for early childhood education are derived from these examples and from the theoretical discussion of argumentation and social constructivism.