**Conflict of interest**

*Metacognition in Learning*

learning at this level.

**8. Conclusions**

development.

**Acknowledgements**

in their learning through the student's interests.

that are already there and need nurturing with stimulating interesting activities and games. The only difference is the level of some learners versus curriculum expectations that are lower. DBE [23] in the curriculum assessment policy statement requires reception class learners to count from 1 to 10 meaningfully. On the other hand, the majority of these learners exceed 20 in counting objects. The question is, what does it mean to these learners when the teacher has to teach them to count from 1 to 10 the whole year while they came to this grade counting more than 20? How do these learners conceptualise the role of school? These findings speak to the research in early childhood mathematics stimulation. According to [3] the majority of these learners are on the progression level of one to one correspondence. Some about 20 are beyond this level at the cardinality level and counting on level. The role of the educator here is to extend these learners' developmental levels to ordering of numbers, composing and decomposing numbers, and the emphasis of the value of the number using objects and number line. However, the curriculum does not indicate so. Is South African mathematics curriculum of the reception class aimed at the level it is supposed to? Literature has indicated that educators who do not have high realistic expectations to their learners impede successful learning [24]. These findings challenge the role of curriculum itself in developing

These findings support the literature on young children's intuitions and intellectual autonomy. Students in this study are interested in counting and have abilities that can be advanced through scaffolding and teacher directed activities at some point mathematising their activities as literature indicates [3, 14]. Already, these students are self-driven their free play shows how they want to try new ideas and learn. In the shape activities it is clear that their experiences are limited, this points to the educator's role in exposing them to puzzles and more activities of similar nature. This chapter argues for nurturing of students' intuitions extending them into formal mathematics without discouraging student's curiosity and interests. In a nut shell this chapter calls for educators to allow student to reach "self-realisation"

The findings of this chapter reveal that young students have mathematical intuitions regardless of their socio-economic status. These intuitions form a rich foundation for nurturing independent learning. Students also indicate interests in exploring geometrical ideas like building structures. In this study curriculum for these students is aimed at a lower level. This has influence on how students can lose interest in their learning as it undermines their abilities. This loss of interest is the main variable that takes away curiosity and eagerness to figure out new things and new experiences. The role of schooling becomes a disabling one than a developmental. Therefore, this chapter recommends curriculum that sets high expectations and teachers who respect and embrace students' interests for their

I would like to acknowledge National Research Foundation (NRF) for funding the project that enabled this chapter to be written. I would also like to acknowledge the community colleagues who made it possible to engage with schools and engage

in data collection during the project, Ms. N. Njovane and Mrs. N. Klass.

**92**

The author declares no conflict of interest.
