MATHEMATICS AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN BUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF LOGICAL THINKING IN EARLY YEARS STUDENTS

Abstract

Mathematics plays a central role in the education of students in the early years of Basic Education, constituting a fundamental element for the development of logical thinking, abstraction skills, and problem-solving abilities. However, its teaching is still often marked by mechanistic approaches focused on procedural repetition and memorization of algorithms, which contributes to students’ disengagement from the subject. This chapter aims to analyze the importance of Mathematics in the early years as a foundational basis for logical thinking, understanding it as a language, a cultural practice, and an essential cognitive mediation for meaningful learning. Grounded in authors from Mathematics Education, Historical-Cultural Psychology, and Pedagogy, the text discusses mathematical literacy, the role of playfulness and pedagogical games, and the challenges of teacher education at this level of schooling. It argues that Mathematics teaching, when conducted in a contextualized, reflective, and pedagogically mediated way, contributes not only to academic performance but also to the formation of critical, autonomous individuals capable of understanding and transforming social reality.