Maths

Involves providing children with opportunities to develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems; and to describe shapes, spaces and measures.

This area supports children’s understanding in different situations by providing opportunities to explore, practise, learn and talk. They practise skills and gain confidence and competence. To give children the best opportunities through Positive Relationships children use mathematical words and ideas in their play. Enabling Environments have resources for counting, calculating and shape available indoors and outdoors. In Learning and Development, stories, songs and imaginative play help with mathematical understanding.

Mathematics is made up of these aspects:

• Numbers
• Numerical Patterns
• Shape, Space and Measures (This is not a specified area of maths but it is an area that children need experience of throughout EYFS)

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“Parents are a child’s first and most enduring educators, and their influence cannot be overestimated.”

Review of Mathematics teaching in Early Years Settings and Primary Schools, Sir Peter Williams 2008

Learning in numeracy takes place all around us, not just in the classroom! Here are just some ideas how parents and families can help support and develop numeracy skills:

• Cooking or baking: How will we measure how much? Can you read the numbers? Can you help me count the spoons? How many cupcake cases will we need? How long will it take to cook? What time will it be ready? What it we double or halve the recipe? How many will we make? How many cakes will we get each in our family? How many chocolate buttons will we need if we put three on each cake?
• Shopping: How many will we need? How much? Will we have enough from this amount? What shape is this? Which is more or less? Which is bigger? How do we work out 20% off? What will it cost if we buy ten? Which is better value?
• Watching or playing sports – what’s the score now? What if they get two more goals? How much is the black worth? What is treble twenty? How much better have they done than last week? What do these statistics mean? How long is the game? What time will it be at half-time?
• Recycling – how will we sort these? How many? What shape is this? Which is the longest? Can you find me a cylinder?
• Walking or driving to school – How long does it take? How many steps? How many number fours can you spot on the way? What number patterns can we spot? Are these numbers odd or even? What shapes can you spot? What directions are we taking? What would be the time difference if we walked or cycled?