Overview of learning 6

Example of mathematics planning and resourcing 6

What we want children to learn (Development matters)

Objectives in bold refer to Early Learning Goals.

Mathematics objectives

Sort familiar objects to identify their similarities and differences
Count how many objects share a particular property, presenting results using pictures, drawings or numerals

Using and applying mathematics

Sort objects, making choices and justifying decisions

Related Early Learning Goals

Explore colour, texture, shape, form and space in two or three dimensions (CD)

Possible contexts

Provide plenty of experience of sorting and classifying groups according to their own criteria to allow recognition of properties of regular shapes and other objects.
Sort and classify leaves, fruit, clothing, recycled materials and natural objects according to their properties.
Use computer programs to enable this information to be represented pictorially, for example charting eye colour, pets, favourite food or favourite colour.
Provide collections of resources and clipboards, large pieces of paper and mark-making tools or large chalkboards.
Use everyday activities such as snack time as a vehicle for encouraging mark making and sorting according to preference. For example: who would like apple and who would like banana?
Use an interactive whiteboard with a variety of clip art pictures or photographs that can be moved to show the similarities and the differences between groups.
Use collections of shapes and hoops for children to classify.

Example of adult-led activity

Context: Collecting leaves

Rake up leaves together in autumn or visit a local park. Make a collection of leaves with a variety of colours and shapes.

Sort the leaves with the children, asking about their reasons for grouping certain leaves together.

Describe and compare their leaves, noticing similarities of properties. Notice whether there are groups of more or fewer leaves with a particular property - count to make sure - and ask them why they think that might be. Let them select a set according to its shared property.

Ask them if they would like to draw their leaves, spray paint over them or make leaf prints. Make a pattern of the leaves and display these alongside the leaves and photographs of the trees. They could attach lines matching their leaves to the trees they come from.

Adult role

Exploit everyday opportunities for sorting, matching and categorising things in everyday life by involving children in organising and labelling equipment, organising games, monitoring attendance, and voting to make decisions.
Observe children making collections of objects in their freely chosen activities and make use of these opportunities by encouraging mark making and representing the situation pictorially.
During real-life problems, encourage children to consider how objects may share particular properties. For example: how many children are wearing red?
Encourage children to explore problems, to make patterns and to count and match together.
Provide help for those children who use a means of communication other than spoken English in developing and understanding specific mathematical language.

Opportunities for children to explore and apply

Provide model-making and pattern-making materials and work alongside children as they build. Encourage children to talk about sorting the objects for use. Discuss their reasons for choice, noticing the properties they choose.
Provide activities that encourage children to describe and explain, for example a 'feely bag'.
Make collections of natural objects for children to sort, match and describe, for example leaves, cones, shells and stones. Help them to make comparisons, and introduce mathematical language through modelling.
Provide a rich range of materials for pattern making both inside and outside in the learning environment.

Adult role

Exploit opportunities for sorting, matching and then counting groups, for example counting fruit at snack time, registering children, organising games.
Observe children making collections of objects in their freely chosen activities and make use of these opportunities by encouraging mark making and representing the situation pictorially.
During real-life problems, encourage children to consider how objects may share particular properties. For example: how many children are wearing red?
Encourage children to explore problems, to make patterns and to count and match together.
Provide help for those children who use a means of communication other than spoken English in developing and understanding specific mathematical language.

Look, listen and note

How do children show curiosity and observation by talking about shapes, identifying how they are the same or why some are different? For example: Danny decided to make a box for his model. He chose a piece of card that was an appropriate shape for the base and different shapes for the sides.
Can children match shapes by recognising similarities and orientation? For example: when Stevie looked at a rhomboid she said 'It looks like a boat.' She picked up a triangle and observed, 'This one's different. It's only got three points.'

Assessment opportunities

Use events such as snack time to observe how children can sort out items, for example numbers of children wanting apple or banana.
Observe how children begin to make pictorial representations of collections of objects.
During events such as snack time, do children successfully sort out items, for example for the number of children wanting apple or banana?
Can children identify appropriate properties and use these to sort and classify collections of objects, describing what they have done?
Can children sort a collection of shapes/objects according to one property and then re-sort them using a different property?