Mathematical Development In Early Years

[Guest]

i am writing an assignment about evaluating the ways that practitioners can support mathematical learning within the foundation stage. I was wondering whether anyone had any ideas. i have a few about counting etc.

 

Thank you

 

Emma

[Guest DeborahF]

Wow, that's a huge topic! How many words do you have to write? Maybe you could start by just jotting down all the different areas of maths that you want to talk about - number, shape, space, measurement, etc. etc. - to make sure that you give enough words to each area?

 

Then have a think about all the different ways in which practitioners can encourage mathematical thinking throughout the day - as part of the daily routine, as an adult focus activity, whilst supporting children using various areas of continuous provision, e.g. sand, water, etc.etc., using displays, that sort of thing.

 

Are there any particular areas of maths that you are struggling to think of practical ideas for? You sound as though you've got started with the counting, what other areas can we help you with? I'm sure that by the end of today loads of people will have helped you out!

[Helen]

Great reply from Wolfie

I'd also add a bit about how Maths can be learned from songs and rhymes, and from movement activities (5 jumps, 3 claps; go through the tunnel, then over the bridge;draw a circle in the air, etc etc)

[Guest]

I decided to look at the areas in foundation stage,

Number - counting, calculating, making reference to theories i.e. hughes, piaget, vygotsky

Shape, measure and space -once again relating to theories.

 

i've found some interestig theories of how children's counting development starts etc and case studyies from hughes in 86.

 

The role of the adult in a social context, i'm looking at inside the setting of how we build upn previous experiences, outside th setting how children are exposed to varying types of maths i.e. money etc.

[Guest]

Looking at maths all around us-such as numbers on buses, doors, car number plates etc. Also shapes all around us both inside and outside the setting-doors, windows, even sandwiches!

Linda

[Guest]

Playdough is an excellent resource for maths, from making it, measuring ingredients, to sharing equal amounts, more or less, shapes, lengths, forming number symbols, number cards, the famous Piaget conservation of mass and number.

 

large ball of dough - equal weight of dough squashed/flattened, the children may say the flat dough is less. Roll twelve small balls of dough, place them in two horizontal lines one beneath the other. upper line balls are spaced out further, child may say there are more balls in the upper line compared to the lower line.

 

I use dough cards, 6 laminated cards with large dice formation dots on them 1-6, children roll balls of dough and place on dots.

Used in role play area, again sharing, filling containers, ( volume) small and large size 'food' etc.

And of course the inevitable dough birthday cake, with candles, ( by the way today the children were adament that I am 3 years old ). Whenever I count the children, pointing to them, tapping their head or other means, you always get the one who says quite disconcertably " I'm four", well yes you are Tom, but in this line you are the 5th person

 

Sequencial / or positional numbers are often forgotten ( which is the correct term, if either??) 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc

 

Peggy

 

ooh, forgot to mention, whole, half, quarter, etc, when cutting the dough pizza, or inevitable birthday cake ( our children were singing happy birthday to each other ALL afternoon, they made their own playdough this morning).

Printing shapes in the playdough, rectangle lego blocks, round cup cutters, etc

 

Peggy

[maria v]

Hi Emma

 

you could also mention how practitioners plan and teach maths at circle times in (small/Large group) situations. Floor and table top activties such as matching, sorting, counting objects, pairing, grading colours and objects from smallest to largest, odd one out, odd and even, more or less than etc.. you could make your own spider plan and show how you link these activities to the foundation stage and birth to three. You could also mention how pratitioners plan activities for different aged children in the early years. Mention or quote some of early educators theories too.

I hope this helps some.

 

Maria

[Guest Wolfie]

And don't forget that just as much maths goes on outdoors as indoors! Outdoor provision is a "hot topic" at the moment!

[Guest]

There is some good stuff here

[mundia]

Hi Emma, for some theoretical inpu, I would recommened you look up GelmaN and Gallistel (sorry not sure about spelling) and their principles of couting, and I remember a reqally interesting article called so you think counting is easy?' (rob Bromald think). The Martin Hughes research is really interesting especially I think children's recording of quantity.

 

Ther is also an article here in the forum but I cant fin dit, perhaps our other member might help out here?

[Guest]

Did you mean this article Mundia?

 

Maths article - Members section

 

peggy

[mundia]

thats the one peggy thenks

[sunnysmiler64]

Did you mean this article Mundia?

 

Maths article - Members section

 

peggy

 

Hi everyone , newly registered to the forum . could anyone help with the above link, as it no longer appears available.

 

Many thanks