Overview of learning 5

Example of mathematics planning and resourcing 5

What we want children to learn (Development matters)

Objectives in bold refer to Early Learning Goals.

Mathematics objectives

Count aloud in ones, twos, fives or tens
Count repeated groups of the same size
Observe number relationships and patterns in the environment and use these to derive facts

Using and applying mathematics

Describe solutions to practical problems, drawing on experience, talking about own ideas, methods and choices

Related Early Learning Goals

Extend their vocabulary, exploring the meanings and sounds of new words (CLL)
Speak clearly and audibly with confidence and control and show awareness of the listener (CLL)
Maintain attention, concentrate and sit quietly when appropriate (PSED)
Look closely at similarities, differences, patterns and change (KUW)
Move with confidence, imagination and in safety (PD)

Possible contexts

Sort real objects and pictures into sets of equal number while counting aloud.
Move along an outdoor number line, for example jumping forward in twos.
Provide help for those children who use a means of communication other than spoken English in developing and understanding specific mathematical language.
Use groups of children to count in pairs. For example: encourage children to share small outdoor equipment in pairs.
Engage in 'small world' play using animals or cars.
Use washing lines for group activities or small number lines next to resources.
Give children sufficient time, space and encouragement to use mathematical ideas, concepts and language during child-initiated activities in their own play.

Example of adult-led activity

Context: Real-life counting opportunities - counting wellington boots and gloves

Question the children. For example: we know how many children there are in the class, but do we know how many feet/hands are in the class? Have we got enough wellington boots for all those feet? Are there enough gloves for all those hands? How could we find out? Children could make their suggestions and have a go at their solutions. They may try: matching objects to children; counting in ones, matching their counting to feet; mark making using pictures or tallies or counting in twos for each child.

Children should share their own methods and discuss the results. Did they all get the same answer? How did they get it? What helped them? Model one or two possibilities, for example counting aloud together children's feet/hands in ones and twos.

Show photographs of hands on the interactive whiteboard or on a felt board so they can be moved. Ask the children to arrange them so they can be counted easily. Count together in twos. Make mistakes, leaving out a number or adding in an odd number. Let the children correct you.

Ask if they can work out how many fingers are on those hands. Remind them of the ways they have found useful so far: tallies, pictures, counting in sets, etc. Share results as above and count together in fives.

Adult role

Provide activities that are imaginative and enjoyable, for example activities that build on children's interests.
Use puppets to demonstrate counting along a number line.
Model saying and using number names in a variety of contexts, for example counting plates in the role-play area, animals in 'small world' play, collections of objects and games (indoors and outdoors).
Exploit opportunities for number, for example counting fruit at snack time, registering children, organising games.
Scaffold children's learning by identifying where they are in understanding of number and then planning for next steps.
Observe children and note possible next steps, for example counts regularly to 5, begins to match numerals to objects up to 10.
Share books and exploit the number potential, for example looking for number patterns in a number rhyme book.
Encourage children to rehearse number names and order using songs, games and rhymes.
Model mathematical vocabulary during the daily routines and throughout adult-led activities.

Opportunities for children to explore and apply

Share rhymes and songs that involve counting in twos, fives and tens forwards and backwards, for example '2, 4, 6, 8, Mary at the cottage gate'; '1, 2, buckle my shoe'; '10 fat sausages sizzling in the pan'. Provide resources for retelling these rhymes independently through rhyme sacks or scanned images for the interactive whiteboard or a story board.
Encourage counting in groups of the same size during role-play. For example: we'll need enough for 6 of us. 2, 4, etc. If 2 can fit on each seat in the train, how many passengers can you take? 2, 4, etc. When organising groups, ask whether they can get in pairs to go to lunch. Have we got everyone? Let's see, that's 2, 4, etc.
Provide transparent number squares and glass beads on light boxes or OHPs for pattern making. Model covering up every other one or covering up the row of tens and counting out the pattern. Can they make their own patterns?
Put up pictures, for example balloons, on an interactive whiteboard or felt board and numerals in multiples of 2, 5 or 10. The objects can be sorted into sets, numbered and counted.

Adult role

Provide activities that are imaginative and enjoyable, for example activities that build on children's interests.
Use puppets to demonstrate counting along a number line.
Model saying and using number names in a variety of contexts, for example counting plates in the role-play area, animals in 'small world' play, collections of objects and games (indoors and outdoors).
Scaffold children's learning by identifying where they are in understanding of number and then planning for next steps.
Observe children and note possible next steps, for example counts regularly to 5; begins to match numerals to objects up to 10.
Encourage children to sing rhymes and make up their own, for example changing familiar rhymes.
Share books and exploit the number potential, for example looking for number patterns in number rhyme books.
Encourage children to rehearse number names and order using songs, games and rhymes involving counting in twos, fives.

Look, listen and note

Observe the way children count repeated groups of the same size. For example: how do they count the number of socks in five pairs?

Assessment opportunities

Observe children and note possible next steps, for example counts confidently in pairs; experiencing counting in fives and tens.
Observe children and their ability to count repeated groups of the same size, for example counting hops in ones, twos or threes.
Are children able to observe number patterns using number grids, number lines, games and stories?
Are the children able to join in rhymes such as '2, 4, 6, 8, Mary at the cottage gate'?
Can the children count confidently in twos (pairs)?
Can they count along large number tracks marked out in fives and tens?
Can they count on or back in tens starting from a given multiple of 10, for example start at 30 and count to 80? Do they know the next one in the sequence, for example when counting in tens what number will come after 60?