Please Help Newbie With Maths Planning

[Guest]

Hi,

 

am just looking for some ideas/reassurance. One of my days as a part timer is in a Reception class. On my timetable I have a half hour slot for Maths. This has always been some sort of reinforcement of the topic that has been covered in a larger carousel of activities that week during the mornings - eg heavy and light, adding one more.

However now observations and Ofsted are imminent and I am wondering if I am doing enough - usually stuff with whiteboards, or number fans.

I can't do a carousel because there is a smaller purely number carousel another afternoon.

 

I am thinking it needs to be something more investigative,problem solving ?? but only have 30 minutes at end of pm 2;15 - 2;45 and most of class ?

 

Are there any suitable resources,websites or materials out there , as am getting really worried

 

Many thanks

[KST]

Afraid I can't really help as I never do whole class teaching like you're suggesting. Well I do 10 minute carpet sessions but the rest are adult led tasks in groups twice a week. Why don't you let the children intitiate their own learning during this time but enhance the provision with maths resources that you have been using in your adult led week and observe the children using these?! x

[Guest]

I tend to make a lot of SMART and power point resources for using at the start of maths lessons coz they help to get the kids engaged and keep them there!! Also there's some lovely counting songs on www.helpkidzlearn.co.uk and I have bags for lots of different counting songs with props to go with each which always go down well. My fave counting song has to be the elephants on a piece of string (or spider's web) one coz you can keep going until the all the kids are standing up being elephants!

I also sometimes use this:

http://www.foundation-stage.info/forums/in...mp;showfile=488

 

Good luck x

[Guest]

Thank you v much for both replying

 

Yes the enhanced maths provision play was what I really wanted the children to do during this time, but I was told that they already have enough choosing time !!! so cant do

I really feel sitting or even using whiteboards,fans etc for 30 minutes is too much after quite a heavy pm ( an hour previously of quite intense prescriptive RE )

 

So was hoping to liven things up with a short burst of investigative maths as am quite restricted ?? but unsure where to start ??

 

I really love the powerpoint of the counting songs, thank you v much. Have been doing something similar so glad to hear am on the right tracks?

Hopefully there is nothing really obvious I am missing that I should be doing ????

 

Many thanks again

[finleysmaid]

there were some good ideas on teachers tv (now on the net) some time ago ...things like little boxes with things inside ...you had to estimate how many were in there and then count them to check ...also a good game where this was extended so that the children had to then go and find the numeral which were hidden in the environment ...i guess what im saying is that if you make it active learning then maybe you would feel more comfortable with the concept

[Guest]

Hi,

 

am just looking for some ideas/reassurance. One of my days as a part timer is in a Reception class. On my timetable I have a half hour slot for Maths. This has always been some sort of reinforcement of the topic that has been covered in a larger carousel of activities that week during the mornings - eg heavy and light, adding one more.

However now observations and Ofsted are imminent and I am wondering if I am doing enough - usually stuff with whiteboards, or number fans.

I can't do a carousel because there is a smaller purely number carousel another afternoon.

 

I am thinking it needs to be something more investigative,problem solving ?? but only have 30 minutes at end of pm 2;15 - 2;45 and most of class ?

 

Are there any suitable resources,websites or materials out there , as am getting really worried

 

Many thanks

 

You can do a problem solving session around any given large number say 50. Put out a pile of 50 bricks , 50 pencils , 50 duplo bricks, 50 sorting objects etc and challenge the children to make the highest, longest most interesting most stable construction, pattern whatever. Divide the class into groups and let them get on with it - you should then circulate and give guidance as required.

[Guest]

thank you those are all fab ideas and am going now to google teachers tv

 

many thanks again

[janebe]

In line with some of the ideas above, I would suggest having a "Challenge Time" (maybe have a toy named "Chester" and call it "Chester's Challenge Time"!!??)

 

Give the children a teaser/challenge on the board and then let them go off into groups with any necessary equipment (or free access to equipment so they can decide what apparatus might help) to solve the problem.

Encourage the more able children to be 'temporary teachers' of their groups and explain ideas to the rest of the group (mixed ability groups)

 

Finish off by sharing results (and then some of those number songs mentioned earlier)

 

Ideas for challenges/problems...

1. Who can build the highest tower / a tower bigger than child X ?
   
2. Sort a set of objects according to weight/length/thickness...
   
3. How many different ways can you use coins to buy an object costing 20p/10p etc?
   
4. Finding patterns in a 100 square
   
5. Steps - 1 block is needed to make a one-step up, one-step down staircase, 4 to make a 2-up, 2-down....How many blocks are needed to make a 5-up, 5-down...etc?
   
6. A painter paints every even numbered door in a street; how many doors will he paint if he starts at number 1 and finishes at number 30?
   
7. Shape hunts around the classroom or grouping items of various shapes
   
8. Can you order yourselves according to height?
   

Hope that helps

 

p.s. Another quick maths filler that my Reception class love is "Silent Sums" - I use my fingers and arms to show a silent sum and then they silently show the answer with their fingers - great calming idea for the end of a session!

[Guest]

wow just seen thats great thanks ! just what I was thinking of (without knowing it/being able to put my finger on it)

 

was thinking of introducing a maths bear as just seen Beam materials have a book of mathematical stories

 

Many thanks

[Guest]

would you mind explaining a bit more about the silent sums - sorry tired brain how do you do the add, take away signs

thank you

[Guest]

you could use a story like 3 little pigs and have 3 bags - estimate how heavy a bag with a brick in it same for wood and straw

[janebe]

would you mind explaining a bit more about the silent sums - sorry tired brain how do you do the add, take away signs

thank you

 

 

For example...

 

2 + 3 =

 

Show 2 fingers

Cross arms as in an addition sign

Show 3 fingers

Put arms parallel in front of chest like an equals sign

 

Then the children show the answer with their fingers

 

Obviously you can adapt this for more difficult sums...

Minus sign - one arm held horizontally

Multiplication - X factor arms!

Division - one arm held horizontally, the other 'punches' above and below it

Numbers greater than 10 - one hand in fist position signifies a ten...etc

 

Bet that's as clear as mud!!

[janebe]

p.s. Sorry for slow reply - life has been a bit hectic lately!

[Guest]

thats great thanks jane, i understand. thanks also for taking the time to reply, know the feeling about life feeling so busy ps will defo give silent sums a go thanks

 

meant to feed back about how the first lesson went - think they liked it

 

i did some basic brain gym then told a story with the maths teddy about comparing 2 bags of shopping one heavy,one light and the children had to problem solve how to make the bags fairer, maths coordinator just bought! ( from beam materials http://www.beam.co.uk/product_detail.php?d...amp;prod_id=340 ).

 

then we did some reaaranging number line like this http://www.teachers.tv/videos/teaching-and...oundation-stage - thanks finlaysmaid

 

so hopefully have found something children like and respond to, thanks everyone