Develop an awareness of shape, form and texture as they encounter people and things in their environment.
Babies' explorations of space through their movements, for example, by rolling from back to front.
How babies begin to be aware of distance, as they grasp and reach out.
Talk to babies about things that interest them, describing particular features, such as the patterns formed when sunlight filters through the leaves on to the ground.
Display things to look at that encourage their interest in movement, such as a spiral.
8-20 Months
Find out what toys are like and can do through handling objects.
Recognise big things and small things in meaningful contexts.
Instances of babies' investigation of objects and space such as looking for hidden objects or putting things in and taking them out of containers.
How they hold out their arms wide to gather up a big teddy and bring hands together to pick up a small ball.
Play games that involve curling and stretching, popping up and bobbing down.
Encourage babies' explorations of the characteristics of objects, for example, by rolling a ball to them.
Talk about what objects are like and how objects, such as a sponge, can change their shape by being squeezed or stretched.
Provide a range of objects of various textures and weights in treasure baskets to excite and encourage babies' interests.
Look at books showing objects such as a big truck and a little truck; or a big cat and a small kitten.
Use story props to support all children and particularly those learning English as an additional language.
16-26 Months
Attempt, sometimes successfully, to fit shapes into spaces on inset boards or jigsaw puzzles.
Use blocks to create their own simple structures and arrangements.
Enjoy filling and emptying containers.
Children's strategies as they select and fit shapes in a puzzle or balance blocks on one another.
Children's interest in and familiarity with the shapes of everyday objects.
Talk to children, as they play with water or sand, to encourage them to think about when something is full, empty or holds more.
Help young children to create different arrangements in the layout of road and rail tracks.
Highlight patterns in daily activities and routines.
Help children to touch, see and feel shape through art, music and dance.
Encourage children to create their own patterns in art, music and dance.
Time to cook - In a childminder's home, the childminder supports the child in his play and learning. [transcript]
You can watch the video via modem or slow / fast / superfast broadband connections. If you are behind a network firewall, why not click here to view a flash file of the video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
Provide different sizes and shapes of containers in water play, so that children can experiment with quantities and measures.
Offer a range of puzzles with large pieces and knobs or handles to support success in fitting shapes into spaces.
22-36 Months
Notice simple shapes and patterns in pictures.
Begin to categorise objects according to properties such as shape or size.
Are beginning to understand variations in size.
Observations made by children relating to shapes or patterns.
When children begin to use some words that describe time, amount and size, for example, when children say things like "me bigger" to a smaller friend.
Talk about and help children to recognise patterns.
Draw children's attention to the pattern of square/oblong/square which emerges as you fold or unfold a tablecloth or napkin.
Be consistent in your use of vocabulary for weight and mass.
Sort coins on play trays into interesting arrangements and shapes; sort them into bags, purses and containers.
Measure for a purpose, such as finding out whether a teddy will fit in a bed.
Collect pictures that illustrate the use of shapes and patterns from a variety of cultures, for example, Arabic designs.
Provide opportunities for children to measure time (sand timer), weight (balances) and measure (non-standard units).
Vary the use of volume and capacity equipment in the sand, water and other play areas to maintain interest.
30-50 Months
Show an interest in shape and space by playing with shapes or making arrangements with objects.
Show awareness of similarities in shapes in the environment.
Observe and use positional language.
Are beginning to understand 'bigger than' and 'enough'.
Show interest in shape by sustained construction activity or by talking about shapes or arrangements.
Use shapes appropriately for tasks.
Begin to talk about the shapes of everyday objects.
Children's skills in matching shapes and in completing puzzles.
Children's recognition of shapes in the environment, for example, that a roof has a triangle at one end.
Children's ideas about why something is the correct size, for example, a piece of paper to wrap a gift.
How children apply their understanding of shape and space, for example, knowing they need one flat shape and one that is 'pointy'.
Children's use of mathematical names for shapes, such as 'circle' and 'triangle'.
Demonstrate the language for shape, position and measures in discussions, for example, 'ball shape', 'box shape', 'in', 'on', 'inside', 'under', 'longer', 'shorter', 'heavy', 'light', 'full' and 'empty'. Find out and use equivalent terms for these measures in home languages.
Encourage children to talk about the shapes they see and use and how they are arranged.
Value children's constructions by helping to display them or take photographs of them.
Organise the environment to foster shape matching, for example, pictures of different bricks on containers to show where they are kept.
Have large and small blocks and boxes available for construction both indoors and outdoors.
Play games involving children positioning themselves inside, behind, on top and so on.
Provide rich and varied opportunities for comparing length, weight and time.
Use stories such as Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins to talk about distance and stimulate discussion about non-standard units and the need for standard units.
Show pictures that have symmetry or pattern and talk to children about them.
A bed for a giant - In a reception class, the practitioner supports a child to solve problems by thinking about the size of a giant's bed, and helping him learn new skills about measuring. [transcript]
You can watch the video via modem or slow / fast / superfast broadband connections. If you are behind a network firewall, why not click here to view a flash file of the video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
Talking about a monster - In a reception class, the practitioner supports a child to talk about the features of his 'monster' using language such as long, tall, taller. [transcript]
You can watch the video via modem or slow / fast / superfast broadband connections. If you are behind a network firewall, why not click here to view a flash file of the video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
40-60+ Months
Show curiosity about and observation of shapes by talking about how they are the same or different.
Match some shapes by recognising similarities and orientation.
Begin to use mathematical names for 'solid' 3D shapes and 'flat' 2D shapes, and mathematical terms to describe shapes.
Select a particular named shape.
Show awareness of symmetry.
Find items from positional or directional clues.
Order two or three items by length or height.
Order two items by weight or capacity.
Match sets of objects to numerals that represent the number of objects.
Sort familiar objects to identify their similarities and differences, making choices and justifying decisions.
Describe solutions to practical problems, drawing on experience, talking about own ideas, methods and choices.
Use familiar objects and common shapes to create and recreate patterns and build models.
Use everyday language related to time; order and sequence familiar events, and measure short periods of time with a non-standard unit, for example, with a sand timer.
Count how many objects share a particular property, presenting results using pictures, drawings or numerals.
Use language such as 'greater', 'smaller', 'heavier' or 'lighter' to compare quantities.
Talk about, recognise and recreate simple patterns.
Use language such as 'circle' or 'bigger' to describe the shape and size of solids and flat shapes.
Use everyday words to describe position.
Use developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems.
Children's interest in and observation of shapes, such as how some are the same or different.
How children match some shapes by recognising similarities and orientation, for example, Stevie looked at a rhomboid, saying, "It looks like a boat". Picking up a triangle, she says, "This one's different... it's only got three points".
How children select a named shape for a particular purpose.
Children's use of positional or directional clues, for example, "We had to come round the park and past the shops".
Children's ordering of two items by length or height, for example, comparing the length of zips on coats: "Too long for your coat".
Children's identification of a mathematical problem involving shape, space or measures and the ways they solve them.
Children's use of positional language, for example, "I'm near the end of the path".
Words children use to describe comparisons and measures such as 'greater', 'smaller', 'heavier' or 'lighter'.
Ask 'silly' questions, for example, show a tiny box and ask if there is a bicycle in it.
Play peek-a-boo, revealing shapes a little at a time and at different angles, asking children to say what they think the shape is, what else it could be or what it could not be.
Make books about shape, time and measure: shapes found in the environment; long and short things; things of a specific length; and ones about patterns, or comparing things that are heavier or lighter.
Be a robot and ask children to give you instructions to get to somewhere. Let them have a turn at being the robot for you to instruct.
Introduce children to the use of mathematical names for 'solid' 3D shapes and 'flat' 2D shapes, and the mathematical terms to describe shapes.
Ensure children use everyday words to describe position, for example, when following pathways or playing with outdoor apparatus.
A picture of my family - In a pre-school, a practitioner supports two children to think about biggest, smallest, tallest and shortest, as they discuss the pictures they have drawn. [transcript]
You can watch the video via modem or slow / fast / superfast broadband connections. If you are behind a network firewall, why not click here to view a flash file of the video. You do need to have the flash plugin.
Provide a range of boxes and materials for models and constructions such as 'dens', indoors and outdoors.
Provide examples of the same shape in different sizes.
Have areas where children can explore the properties of objects and where they can weigh and measure, such as a cookery station or a building area.
Plan opportunities for children to describe and compare shapes, measures and distance.
Provide materials and resources for children to observe and describe patterns in the indoor and outdoor environment and in daily routines, orally, in pictures or using objects.
Provide a range of natural materials for children to arrange, compare and order.
