Nepoznata i promenljiva – problem učenja rane algebre

The paper draws attention to the difficulties associated with the introduction of symbols and symbolic notation in junior grades of primary school. In this context, the paper draws special attention to the proper understanding of the concepts of unknown and variable at this age and also point to a wide range of problems related to understanding letters as symbols used to denote an unknown or variable in early algebra. The shaping of a real-world context problem at different levels of abstraction is exemplified with the formation of the concepts of unknown andvariable. In this process, real-world situations represent a source of developing mathematical concepts, tools and procedures in which students can apply their mathematical knowledge at a later stage because it gradually becomes more general and formalized and therefore less contextrelated.