Respond to people and objects in their environment.
Notice changes in groupings of objects, images or sounds.
Responses to people and objects.
The attention that young babies give to changes in the quantity of objects or images they see, hear or experience.
Identify the people, toys and experiences that babies enjoy.
Talk about the things that babies notice when they are in different places such as the garden, the changing area or where they have meals.
Display favourite things in a lively, bright environment so that a young baby can see them.
Provide a small group of the same objects in treasure baskets, as well as single items, for example, two fir cones or three shells.
8-20 Months
Develop an awareness of number names through their enjoyment of action rhymes and songs that relate to their experience of numbers.
Enjoy finding their nose, eyes or tummy as part of naming games.
Preferences for particular rhymes and action songs that relate to number.
The pictures of familiar things, in books, that babies recognise and point to, such as a ball or a teddy.
Sing number rhymes as you dress or change babies, for example, 'One, Two, Buckle My Shoe'.
Move with babies to the rhythm patterns in familiar songs and rhymes.
Encourage babies to join in tapping and clapping along to simple rhythms.
Collect number rhymes which are repetitive and are related to children's actions and experiences, for example, 'Peter Hammers with One Hammer'.
Use song and rhymes during personal routines, for example, 'Two Little Eyes to Look Around', pointing to their eyes, one by one.
Collect number and counting rhymes from a range of cultures and in other languages. This will benefit all children and will give additional support for children learning English as an additional language.
16-26 Months
Say some counting words randomly.
Distinguish between quantities, recognising that a group of objects is more than one.
Gain awareness of one-to-one correspondence through categorising belongings, starting with 'mine' or 'Mummy's'.
Awareness of number during play, such as the number words used and when and why they use them.
How children notice or choose a larger quantity.
Use number words in meaningful contexts, for example, "Here's your other mitten. Now we have two".
Talk to young children about 'lots' and 'few' as they play.
Talk about young children's choices and, where appropriate, demonstrate how counting helps us to find out how many.
Give opportunities for children to practise one-to-one correspondence in real-life situations.
Talk about the maths in everyday situations, for example, doing up a coat, one hole for each button.
Tell parents about all the ways children learn about numbers in your setting. Have interpreter support or translated materials to support children and families learning English as an additional language.
Provide varied opportunities to explore 'lots' and 'few' in play.
Equip the role-play area with things that can be sorted in different ways.
Provide collections of objects that can be sorted and matched in various ways.
Provide resources that support children in making one-to-one correspondences, for example, giving each dolly a cup.
22-36 Months
Have some understanding of 1 and 2, especially when the number is important for them.
Create and experiment with symbols and marks.
Use some number language, such as 'more' and 'a lot'.
Recite some number names in sequence.
How young children show their understanding of number labels such as 1, 2, 3.
The contexts in which young children use marks and symbols.
Situations that prompt children to talk about numbers.
The numbers children recite spontaneously in their games.
Children matching one thing with another, for example, glasses and straws.
Children putting things in order of 'turn'.
Show children how we use counting to find out 'how many'.
Talk about how the symbols and marks you make stand for numbers and quantities.
Ask questions such as "Would you like one sandwich or two?".
At mealtimes, talk about portions of food so that children learn about quantities, such as 'enough', 'more', 'how many'.
Encourage parents of children learning English as an additional language to talk in their home language about quantities and numbers.
Introduce number labels to use outdoors for car number plates, house and bus numbers.
Create a 'number rich' environment in the home play area. Introduce numbers as they are used at home, by having a clock, a telephone and a washing machine.
Keep a diary with the children about their favourite things. Talk about how many like apples, or which of them watches a particular TV programme at home.
30-50 Months
Use some number names and number language spontaneously.
Show curiosity about numbers by offering comments or asking questions.
Use some number names accurately in play.
Sometimes match number and quantity correctly.
Recognise groups with one, two or three objects.
Children knowing that different numbers have different names.
Children using the names for numbers accurately.
The range of numbers that children refer to, and why they use certain numbers.
Children's guesses about numbers of things and their ability to check them.
Accuracy in the use of ordinals (first, second, third and so on).
The strategies that children use to match number and quantity, for example, using fingers or tallying by making marks.
Use number language, for example, 'one', 'two', 'three', 'lots', 'hundreds', 'how many?' and 'count', in a variety of situations.
Model and encourage use of mathematical language by, for example, asking questions such as, "How many saucepans will fit on the shelf?".
Allow children to understand that one thing can be shared, for example, a pizza.
Getting ready to go out - In a reception class, the practitioner encourages children to locate their wellingtons by number and location. [transcript]
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Give children a reason to count, for example, by asking them to select enough wrist bands for three friends to play with the puppets.
Enable children to note the 'missing set', for example, "There are none left" when sharing things out.
Provide number labels for children to use, for example, by putting a number label on each bike and a corresponding number on each parking space.
Include counting money and change in role-play games.
40-60+ Months
Recognise some numerals of personal significance.
Count up to three or four objects by saying one number name for each item.
Count out up to six objects from a larger group.
Count actions or objects that cannot be moved.
Begin to count beyond 10.
Begin to represent numbers using fingers, marks on paper or pictures.
Select the correct numeral to represent 1 to 5, then 1 to 9 objects.
Recognise numerals 1 to 5.
Count an irregular arrangement of up to ten objects.
Estimate how many objects they can see and check by counting them.
Count aloud in ones, twos, fives or tens.
Know that numbers identify how many objects are in a set.
Use ordinal numbers in different contexts.
Match then compare the number of objects in two sets.
Say and use number names in order in familiar contexts.
Count reliably up to ten everyday objects.
Recognise numerals 1 to 9.
Use developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems.
The personal numbers that children refer to, such as their age, house number, telephone number or the number of people in their family.
Instances of children counting an irregular arrangement of up to ten objects.
Children's methods of counting out up to six objects from a larger group, for example, when children do a jigsaw together and share out the pieces, counting to check everyone has the same number.
How children begin to represent numbers using fingers, marks on paper or pictures.
Children's recognition of numerals.
How children use their developing understanding of maths to solve mathematical problems, for example, solving a debate about which of two piles of pebbles has more in it.
Encourage estimation, for example, estimate how many sandwiches to make for the picnic.
Encourage use of mathematical language, for example, number names to ten: "Have you got enough to give me three?".
Ensure that children are involved in making displays, for example, making their own pictograms of lunch choices. Develop this as a 3D representation using bricks and discuss the most popular choices.
Add numerals to all areas of learning and development, for example, to a display of a favourite story, such as 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff'.
Make books about numbers that have meaning for the child such as favourite numbers, birth dates or telephone numbers.
Use rhymes, songs and stories involving counting on and counting back in ones, twos, fives and tens.
Emphasise the empty set and introduce the concept of nothing or zero.
Provide collections of interesting things for children to sort, order, count and label in their play.
Display numerals in purposeful contexts, for example, a sign showing how many children can play on a number track.
Use tactile numeral cards made from sandpaper, velvet or string.
Create opportunities for children to experiment with a number of objects, the written numeral and the written number. Develop this through matching activities with a range of numbers, numerals and a selection of objects.
Use a 100 square to show number patterns.
Make number games readily available and teach children how to use them.
Display interesting books about number.
Play games such as hide and seek that involve counting.
Use rhymes, songs and stories involving counting on and counting back.
