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Based on the research project, Borderlands, Bridges and Rites of Passage – Understanding Children’s Learning Journeys from Preschool into School, at the conference, the key question scrutinized will be how to deepen the understanding of what characterizes the educational settings in the cases with reference to numeracy and participation. In the research project, an interpretive approach (Erickson, 1986) is applied, using a relational perspective (Garpelin, 1997) and the concepts borderland (Peters, 2010), learning journeys (Peters, 2010) and rites of passage (van Gennep, 1960). Data have been gathered in two different municipalities, in four different schools by participant observation and interviews with both teacher and children, following the groups of children from preschool-class into school. The research has been conducted in the preschool-classes from March until May 2011 and in first-year school classes from August until November 2011. Participation is pinpointed as one of the most underlying aspects for learning and meaningful education. In our study, different conditions experienced in the two schools seem to form various opportunities for participation, something that will be elaborated and discussed in this presentation, in relation to learning opportunities and learning journeys. In mathematics education research, consensus has been established around five competences required to gain mathematical knowledge and understanding, and the Swedish curriculum emphasizes that children, are given opportunities to develop such competences. In our research we try to understand: What characterizes the educational settings regarding the numeracy children encounter. At the conference, we will present some outcomes that can be identified in the initial analyses of the data collected with respect to these focuses.