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Numeracy There are plenty of opportunities to develop your child's maths skills through carrying out simple activities and daily routines. For more ideas on specific activities select a mathematical area from below.
Number Recognition Telling the Time
Maths is a key skill which children need to develop and use in their everyday lives. There are many aspects to maths, and these can be explored at an early age through everyday informal contexts. There are also many workbooks and activity books available for your child to practise their maths skills further and prepare them for school.
Number recognition to ten and subsequently twenty and then further is a key part of early maths. To begin with children can be introduced to numbers up to five and when able to recognise these, move on to numbers up to ten. A lovely way to introduce numbers to ten and develop your child's coordination is through hopscotch or an outdoor foam number puzzle such as a Number Soft Foam Play Mat Puzzle. By talking about numbers in the environment your child will develop the ability to recognise numbers more quickly e.g. mention the number bus you are catching, the numbers on houses, numbers in car registrations, telephone numbers. Give them the opportunity to see the different contexts in which numbers are used around them. A simple Numbers 1-20 Wall Chart in your child's playroom or bedroom will reinforce number recognition on a daily basis.
Counting is also an important part of early mathematics and a skill
needed in our daily lives. Begin by encouraging your child to count to
five, perhaps through familiar
number songs.
You can also develop counting skills though simple jigsaws which are
ideal for younger children such as
a
Wooden Number Jigsaw Puzzle By using fun and familiar objects counting can be taught in an enjoyable way e.g. counting teddies, toy cars, marbles etc. By learning to count objects up to five and perhaps matching the correct number card to the five objects, your child is beginning to link the number five to the five objects. Keep practising this skill until your child is competent with counting objects to five. You could develop this further through a simple Number Puzzle. As and when you feel your child is ready, you can introduce them to counting objects to ten and then progress onto twenty. Give your child time at each stage to grasp the concept and number skills involved.
Number formation needs to be practised and refined. This can be done by
simply writing numbers together and your child progressing to do so
independently. A Megasketcher You may want to introduce number formation by writing numbers in sand, shaving foam. This informal context makes it more enjoyable and relaxed and will not put pressure on your child to write numbers correctly the first time. Keep practising informally until you feel your child is ready to start practising on paper. A lovely way to learn number formation is though our rhyme to help children write numbers.
Firstly let your child try writing over numbers you have written and talk about where to start and how each number is formed. To begin with start with numbers one to five and then progress to numbers up to ten.
Tip - By having a colourful and fun Number Line
Once your child is competent with counting and writing numbers one to
twenty they are usually ready to progress to simple addition. It is
helpful to work though simple addition sums at home, perhaps to begin
with by using things around you. You may find a Play and Learn Addition Workbook It is best to concentrate on adding numbers to five using objects to explain this concept. You could use buttons or pebbles to help your child understand how we can count and add two objects together. When they understand how to add and count objects introduce them to the number sentence and addition sign (+). Practise simple addition sentences together again using the Play and Learn Addition Workbook. Give them plenty of practise with simple addition to five and encourage them to write out the addition sum and work out the answers (1 + 1 = 2).
Adding Ten If your child is competent with number bonds to ten they can progress to adding ten to a number. This can be introduced through using simple objects to represent ten e.g. marbles, buttons etc. As with number bonds, it is important that your child is able to write the number sentence and answer e.g. 4 + 10 = 14, 7 + 10 = 17.
Your child may like to have their own
Book of Addition (Kumon Workbooks)
Number bonds to five can be introduced once your child has understood the concept of addition. This involves your child learning and understanding what pairs of numbers make five and then being able to write these out in number sentences e.g. 5 + 0 = 5, 4 + 1 = 5, 3 + 2 = 5, etc. When your child is competent with number bonds to five, they are usually ready to move onto number bonds to ten. This can be done through using objects such as marbles, counters or buttons to help them understand the idea of making ten in different ways e.g. 5 + 5 = 10, 6 + 4 =10 etc.
Tip- When not use the
Number Bonds - Story to 10 Placemat
Subtraction is an important concept for children to grasp and is best
taught after addition has been understood. Subtraction can be introduced
through practical activities where object are taken away and the
remainder then counted.
Nursery rhymes are a valuable way to explore subtraction with younger children e.g. ‘Ten in a Bed’, ‘Five Speckled Frogs’ You might want to buy a Counting Songs CD so your child can sing along with each song. Once you have modelled this to your child, they will be able to sing the number rhymes on their own.
Our everyday lives provide many hidden opportunities to teach maths skills. They often require no planning for and occur naturally on a daily basis. These situations should be taken advantage of and used to help your child learn basic skills such as counting, addition and number recognition.
Shopping There are opportunities for maths at the supermarket…
Let your child count out the items and put them into the trolley. e.g. Ask them to find five apples? This will develop your child's counting as well as independence.
Encourage them to spot numbers around them, such as on the isles.
Challenge them to work out the total of two items.
Take time to talk about shapes around you such as different shaped food packaging.
Encourage your child to count the items in the basket. Can you go to the checkout for less than eight items? Questions like this develop mathematical problems solving skills.
Mention the till number you are queuing at, do they recognise the other numbers in the environment?
Cookery Activities
Cookery activities are another way in which you can bring maths into your everyday routines. Cooking can be used to develop many aspects of maths such as an understanding of number, measuring, size and shape. There are a wide range of child friendly recipes which are quick and easy to prepare in this
Children's Step-by-Step Cookbook
Encourage your child to weigh out the ingredients and use simple mathematical language such as ‘more’ and ‘less’. Can they measure out two teaspoons of salt? Are they able to crack three eggs? Introduce half amounts and explain that sometimes you need to use one and a half cups of water. Let them look at the recipe with you so they become familiar with numbers and are aware of the mathematical way of writing a half etc.
Talk about time and how long the meal takes to prepare or how long the cake takes to cook. Discuss the numbers on the clock and slowly introduce your child to time, beginning with o'clock time and then progressing to half hour and quarter hours.
Introduce fractions by sharing out portions of food. Use vocabulary such as whole, half, quarters and thirds.
Discuss ways of measuring out liquids and solids i.e. cups, measuring jugs, weighing scales.
Gardening
The outdoor environment provides an ideal opportunity to develop mathematical understanding in a practical way. When outside in the garden encourage your child to get involved by...
Letting your child count out the bulbs, seeds, pots etc
Asking your child to space out the bulbs in the pot leaving a certain distance between them.
Getting your child to measure the bulbs as they grow.
Encouraging your child to water the bulbs and explore measuring through looking at the graduations on the watering can or jug.
Helping your child read the temperature on the thermometer in the greenhouse or count the tomatoes growing?
Finding the tallest and shortest plants in the garden. Can they find a plant the same height as them? Taller than them? Shorter than them? These sorts of simple tasks introduce mathematical language and will help your child understand these terms in a practical way.
If you have a sand pit or go to the beach why not get your child to
practise writing their numbers in the sand?
Collecting objects to order according to size and shape.
Making patterns and shapes using pebbles, shells or sticks etc.
There are many games which promote mathematics. To ensure a wide range of skills and mathematical vocabulary is developed you need to play these games with your child first. Once you have modelled them your child can play these with other children or brothers and sisters. After playing the games a few times your child will then feel comfortable and confident with the mathematical language and skills.
A game of skittles involves counting those knocked down and also those still standing therefore demonstrating subtraction and number bonds. Parents can also introduce positional language when rolling the ball. Pen and paper could be used to try and find a symbol or recall a numeral to represent the number of skittles they knocked down.
Try and ask questions such as: How many skittles have you knocked down? Who has knocked down the most skittles? How many skittles are left standing?
Ladybird Dominoes
This is an ideal game to introduce doubles. For young children picture
dominoes could be used. For example, finding the ladybird with two spots
on and searching for the other domino with two on. Your child could then
work out the answers to double three and find the correct domino i.e.
six. This game can lead onto practicing number sentences and
experimenting with representing the pictures on the
dominoes
Ask questions such as: Can you find the other ladybird with six spots? How many more spots has this ladybird? Does this ladybird have the same number of spots as this one? Which ladybird has more spots? Can you find the double for this ladybird?
Snakes and Ladders
This game develops a range of mathematical language and skills through rolling the dice, moving the counters and moving up and down the snakes and ladders. Ask questions such as: How many more spaces do you need to finish? Can you count on six spaces? What direction are you moving in?
Children will develop number recognition, addition and counting through playing
Peppa Pig Giant Snakes & Ladders Game
Ludo
Giant Ludo is ideal to reinforce counting, colours and shapes and is a fun game to play with your child. It is beneficial as it introduces children to a dice and turn taking. It is a brilliant game for position and direction and gives your child an introduction to positional language. Another benefit is that this game can be played outdoors and is ideal for children's parties or when having your child's friends visit.
Ask questions such as: How can you describe the position of your counter? What direction are we moving the counters in? What shapes can you see? Images courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net |
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Numeracy
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Number songs Tricky Words Internet Safety Bath time Jolly Phonics Maths Stories Jolly Phonics Actions Stranger Safety Starting School Writing Telling the Time '20' of the Best Picture Books Learning to swim Discipline Spelling Maths Developing Speech and Language Learning to ride a bike Bedtime Poetry Language Acquisition Theories Good Manners Healthy Eating |
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up in your child’s
bedroom, they become familiar with the order and formation of numbers.
Children also love a
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to make learning number bonds fun and relate to everyday experiences.
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