Maths

Number:

Talking about numbers and counting often shows children that numbers are part of everyday life. 

• Count everyday objects together
• Ask your child to help when shopping by counting and collecting objects to put in the basket e.g. "Can you get me 3 bananas?"
• When building with blocks or playing with toys, count how many of each colour or size. 
• Make simple recipes by counting amounts e.g. "Put 2 spoons of flour in the bowl." 
• Sing counting songs and use your fingers or props to help count the items e.g. Five Little Ducks
• Build, draw and write numbers together
• Look for and point out numbers when out and about
• Play board games together
• Read counting books
• Read books and count sets of pictures e.g. three bears, bowls, chairs, beds.

Start with numbers 0 to 5. When your children are confident with these numbers, continue up to 10 and then up to 20. Move on to higher numbers as your child becomes confident and secure with the numbers learnt so far. 

Number Patterns:

Pattern are all around us. Children can also spot and create patterns in a range of  contexts, such as printed patterns, timetables, numbers and stories. Patterns can also be made with objects such as:

• coloured cubes,
• small toys,
• buttons
• keys
• outdoor materials like pine cones, leaves or large blocks,
• movements and sounds, linking with music, dance, phonics and rhymes.

Children should explore shapes in different ways while discussing the shapes using mathematical language.

Measures is using numbers of units in order to compare aspects such as length, mass, capacity, or time. 

• Compare and order objects by mass, height or length 
• Fill and compare the capacity of different containers using water or sand
• Sequence events from stories or from your daily routine - first, next, then or yesterday, today, tomorrow 
• Use timers to complete an activity  - how many hops in a minute? etc 
• Talk about days of the week and months of the year