Overview of learning 8

Example of mathematics planning and resourcing 8

What we want children to learn (Development matters)

Objectives in bold refer to Early Learning Goals.

Mathematics objectives

Select two groups of objects to make a given total of objects

Using and applying mathematics

Use developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems

Related Early Learning Goals

Interact with others, negotiating plans and activities and taking turns in conversation (CLL)
Work as part of a group or class, taking turns and sharing fairly, understanding that there needs to be agreed values and codes of behaviour for groups of people, including adults and children, to work together harmoniously (PSED)
Investigate objects and materials by using all of their senses as appropriate (KUW)
Find out about, and identify, some features of living things, objects and events they observe (KUW)

Possible contexts

Establish role-play that has a focus on groups of objects, for example in a shop context with collections of fruit or groceries.
Use everyday opportunities, such as snack time, to pose problems.
Use self-registration opportunities to ask the children a variety of questions. For example: how many are there altogether? How many more than yesterday?
Provide collections of objects for children to sort, match and count.
Share, recite and encourage joining in with number rhymes and stories using games and books.
Provide tapes and CD-ROMs of number rhymes and songs for children to listen to.

Example of adult-led activity

Context: Planting bulbs

Give the children a box of 15 daffodil bulbs and a box of 15 tulip bulbs. Ask them to plant up 6 containers in as many different ways as possible. Suggest that they can plan different ways of putting the daffodils and tulips together first so they have arrangements that they like. Provide mark-making materials. The children may like to group the bulbs into different combinations or they may draw possible arrangements.

Ask them to record how they have planted the containers to help them remember which bulbs are in each. Provide clipboards and pens. They may need some modelling or support with questions. For example: this container has 3 daffodils and 2 tulips; how could we show that?

Share their recordings and ask questions: so have you got the same number in each? Do you prefer the colour of the tulips? Will more of those look better in the pot, or more daffodils? Which would you prefer? Did you run out of any bulbs or did you plan carefully? So you've got 3 in here altogether; how many daffodils are there?

Adult role

Model saying and using number names in a variety of contexts, for example collections of objects and games (indoors and outdoors), 'small world' figures, construction equipment and blocks.
Exploit opportunities for sorting, matching and then counting groups, 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: begins to sort and group and then moves to be able to select groups of objects for a given total.
Share books and exploit the number potential.
Model using the language of addition and subtraction including 'more', 'and', 'add', 'make', 'altogether', 'total', 'take away', 'how many left', etc.
Look for situations where you can use words such as 'add', 'take away', 'altogether', 'more than' and 'fewer' and try to show what you mean by counting to demonstrate it.

Opportunities for children to explore and apply

Model mathematics games and provide for spontaneous play. For example: roll a dice and put that number of toys (bears, shells, etc.) in one of 3 containers. Children throw the dice until they have the number they need to make 5 toys in each container.
Provide collections of objects for children to use for sorting, matching, combining and pattern making.
Encourage children to be curious. For example: in cooking, cut open fruit and count the number of seeds. (The children may need to use a magnifying glass or a digital microscope.) Is there the same number of seeds on each side of the fruit?
Use real-life problems. For example: we've got 28 children altogether and lots of different fruit. Which fruit shall we choose? How many pears? Does that give us the number we need? Do we need more or less?

Adult role

Model finding totals of objects in a variety of contexts, for example collections of objects and games (indoors and outdoors), 'small world' figures, construction equipment and blocks.
Exploit opportunities for sorting, matching and then counting groups, for example counting fruit at snack time, registering children, organising games.
Talk about outcomes, for example 4 red bricks and 2 yellow bricks makes 6 bricks altogether.
Observe children and note possible next steps, for example: begins to sort and group and then moves to be able to select groups of objects for a given total.
Share books and exploit the number potential.
Encourage children to make marks to record their findings, for example drawing their towers or making marks to show their outcomes.

Look, listen and note

How do children find the sum of two numbers? Adeola picked up as many conkers as she could, working out how many she had altogether: 'Five and four - nine! That's my best go.'
Observe the variety in responses when children work out a calculation from a story. For example: Merrie said, 'If two more come there will be seven, because five and two make seven.'
How do children use different methods to find a total?

Assessment opportunities

See how children tackle problems such as putting 2 kinds of animal in a stable designed for 6 animals, or making a tower of 6 bricks using 2 colours.
Are children able to respond to the request, for example, to take more conkers or cotton reels or to put some back?
Observe the children in practical contexts using objects or by modelling with objects or apparatus. Can the children make 10 in a variety of ways by combining two or more amounts? What numbers up to 10 can they make correctly using two groups of objects?