1. Early Years
  2. Mathematics
  3. Breadth

Breadth

Nursey 3-4 Years Old

  • Sing counting songs and rhymes.
  • Count small groups of numbers, starting from three.
  • Playing games with numbers such as rolling a die and finding the correct number of objects.
  • Counting our steps and things we see in the environment.
  • Make groups of objects into sets and count how many sets there are.
  • Make sets of one dot, sets of two dots, etc. Start with up to five.
  • Using mathematical language, who is first? Who is second?
  • Subitising quantities up to four.
  • Identifying repeating patterns in print and songs
  • Opportunities to count and compare sets, Which group is bigger/smaller?
  • Activities that reproduce a number with manipulatives, e.g. place two counters on a table, hide another under a cloth .and show it to children. 
  • Measuring using non-standard units, such as cubes or hands.
  • Exploring light and heavy objects, including large light objects and small heavy objects. 
  • Exploring capacity using a range of different objects such as teapots, buckets, spoons and ladles.
  • Using nesting containers to generate curiosity and discussion. 
  • Exploring a variety of pouring media, sand, water lentils and countable materials such as blocks and conkers. 
  • Time, playing games that help us think about what time of day it happens such as the moon at night or the sun in the day.
  • Exploring shapes in the environment, the round clock, the square picture. 
  • Using pictures and stories to name and identify simple shapes.
  • Using simple positional language through games.
  • Simple problem solving, how many children have blue eyes/brown eyes?

Reception 4-5 Years Old

  • Counting games, can you roll a die and find that many objects from a group of ten?
  • Using arrays, can you say how many?
  • Using mathematical resources such as Numicon, multilink and ten-frames to work out arrays.
  • Recognising multiplication arrays by using columns and rows. Using resources such as Lego, egg boxes and cake tins.
  • Counting more complex arrangements of numbers. Encouraging children to talk about how they see the number.
  • Using number lines to write numbers in order and find what is more or less.
  • Recognising and continuing repeating patterns in pictures, objects and rhymes. Can you see it? Can you hear it? Can you copy it?
  • Solving number problems, can you count the dots? Can you say the number? Do you recognise the number? Can you make the number in different ways?
  • Singing number songs to support counting backwards, using our fingers to help us, such as 10 fat sausages/10 in a bed.
  • Using 3D bar grids and pictograms to sort into groups.
  • Reading graphs to answer questions.
  • Measuring and comparing length using mathematical language, longer, shorter, the same.
  • Using different types of weight scales to compare mass.
  • Predicting weight and checking our estimates.
  • Using scales measure ingredients to cook.
  • Capacity problem-solving. How many cars will fit into the box?
  • Using a variety of containers and media to compare capacity.
  • Learning about time in daily routines. Talk about what day it is and what month it is.
  • Talk about age, next week, last week, today, last month. When is your Birthday?
  • Using different timers to record our activities in our play.
  • Names and describing 2D shape and their properties.
  • Making some basic tangrams.
  • Recognising 3D shapes in the environment.
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