Reception Maths Stay and Play

Thank you to all of the parents, carers and family members who attended the Reception Maths stay and play. 100% of parents strongly agreed that the session helped them to understand the way Mathematics is taught in Reception and how they could support their child at home.

The Key Presentation points were:

•  Understanding of mathematical language has a huge impact on a child's progress in the EYFS. Time is spent ensuring the children understand concepts and language such as more/less, greatest/greater, few/fewer, before, after, between, how many more, total, equals, difference.
  
• Ensure children have experience of counting backwards as well as forwards and from any given number.
• Children gradually move from Concrete methods (using practical objects) to pictorial (representing using pictures, number lines) to abstact (applying what they have learnt in any context, solving problems)
• There is a danger that if children move to the abstract too quickly they will not have a secure understanding of the process or concept. This is why Mathematics in the EYFS is very practical initially.
• Maths can be easy to fit into the day. Problem solving can start the moment children wake up: How  much time have we got to get ready? What time is it? Shall I cut the toast in half?
• Going to the shops has lots of opportunities for learning. Children can help find items on the shopping list, begin to recognise coins, find the biggest apple, find the cylinder shaped can, put all of the boxes with straight edges into the bag etc.