This conceptual paper presents a pedagogical approach for teaching structural extension in sequencing within the Foundation Phase, foregrounding its significance in developing algebraic reasoning in young learners. Despite sequencing being a well-established component of early mathematics education, its instructional treatment frequently emphasises skip counting and the reproduction of numerical patterns rather than structural understanding. This paper argues that teaching sequencing through a structural lens offers a vital pathway for introducing learners to co-variational thinking and generalisation—core components of early algebra.

Drawing on an empirically grounded typology of six levels of cognitive demand, the paper offers a nuanced view of how young learners progress from recognition-based counting tasks (Level 0) to more complex reasoning tasks (Level 5), where they construct generalised relationships and apply them to unseen terms in a sequence. Structural extension, as defined in this framework, goes beyond pattern replication to include recognition and application of surface and systemic structure, development of recursive and functional rules, and ultimately, the formation of generalised mathematical objects. Importantly, this does not necessitate symbolic algebra, but rather promotes the use of language, diagrams, and representations to articulate generality.

To support this pedagogical shift, the paper outlines instructional strategies and tools—including input–output tables, number charts, spatial representations, and “jumps and gaps” methods—that scaffold learners’ engagement with underlying mathematical structure. Classroom practices that promote reasoning over correctness, visualisation of growth, and learner explanation are identified as central to this approach. The paper also identifies barriers, including teachers’ frequent conflation of counting and sequencing, and the dominance of product-driven assessments which undervalue learner reasoning.

Professional development is posited as a crucial enabler of this transformation. By equipping teachers with the conceptual tools to design, recognise, and facilitate structurally rich learning tasks, foundational mathematical thinking can be deepened across the early grades. Additionally, the paper argues for curriculum and assessment policies that explicitly value reasoning, generalisation, and co-variational thinking, ensuring that patterning is not an isolated skill but a foundational stepping-stone toward algebra.

This conceptual framework contributes to the growing body of scholarship on early algebra by offering a structured, theoretically grounded, and pedagogically actionable model for engaging Foundation Phase learners with structural aspects of number patterns. Through deliberate pedagogical choices, young learners can be empowered to reason, generalise, and engage with mathematics as a sense-making activity from the earliest years of schooling.

Keywords: Structural extension, sequencing, algebraic reasoning, Foundation Phase, cognitive demand, generalisation, co-variational thinking, teacher pedagogy.