The processes that adults engage in when they come together to support the mathematical learning of children

The study reported in this paper was conducted in Australia and was situated in the context of starting school. The focus of the inquiry was on determining and understanding the processes that adults engage with when coming together to support children making the transition to school. The theoretical lens of the cultural interface was used as a tool for analysis. Findings suggest that as adults come together to support the learning of young children they engage in specific processes. These processes are embedded in the action of locating the contextual self, and they take place at different times in the establishment and maintenance of adult relationships, and the formation of a working partnership. In this paper, these findings are shared and future research directions in family-educator partnership work are offered.