1. Welcome to our Curriculum Workshop
Let’s talk about maths!

2. Maths in the Foundation Stage.
In the Foundation Stage maths is divided into two main groups:
Shape, Space and Measure.
Counting.

3. What does our teaching look like?
Whole class lessons
Group lessons with activities differentiated to meet the needs of a specific group
Independent activities when children initiate their own learning and challenge themselves (child initiated learning)

4. Shape, Space and Measure
In the reception year we cover many aspects of Shape, Space and Measure:
Sorting D and 3D shapes Pattern Mass Length
Capacity Time Sequencing Money
Positional and directional language

5. Space, Shape and Measure
Our immediate thoughts when we are asked to think about shapes are; squares, circles, triangles and rectangles. In reception we will be introducing the children to 3D shapes first – Let me explain why..
Technically, any shape that has a thickness to it is a 3D shape, so a door, window, door mat cannot possibly be 2D rectangles as they are 3D and actually cuboids. With this in mind When do we ever see 2D shapes in everyday life? Very Rarely.
If we begin thinking of shapes in everyday life as 3D then we are able to quickly think of Shape, Space and Measure as being one linked area rather than three separate areas to learn.

6. Shape, Space and Measure
Lets go back to our list:
Sorting D and 3D shape Pattern Mass Length
Capacity Time Sequencing Money
Positional and directional language
Ok, lets connect to dots… Give a child an few empty cardboard boxes – one being large enough to get insides.
First It’s a cuboid, that has squares/rectangles making its sides. – 2D/3D shape
Sort the boxes by size – sorting, length
Climb inside, how many children can you fit in? – Capacity.
How many time can you climb n and out in a minute? – Time
Can you sit on, in, next to, behind, in front of – Positional language.
Make the box into a car, give directions ask yur child to give directions– directional language.
This an be done for cylinders – tunnels,
pyramids – children’s tent

7. Shape, Space and Measure
These ideas are all things that could be supported at home with children learning while having masses of fun!
There are other ideas for activities you can do with you child to support maths in you booklet as well as a list of vocabulary that the children will be using.

8. Counting. Counting is the area that we will be prioritising this year.
It is not as many people think, just recognising numbers and counting randomly to as big a number as possible.
There are many more skills that we need to be teach this year and we will talk about how we intend to teach and support your chid in understanding and enjoying counting.

9. Counting This year your child will learn; Counting Recognising numbers
Estimation
Calculation – addition & subtraction; sharing, doubling & halving
Problem solving
Recording

10. Counting
One of the key methods that we will be introducing your child to this year is
Subitising
It is a much simpler idea than it sounds. It is simply the process of being able to know how many without counting by recognising a pattern.
The easy way to support this at home is through using dominoes and dice and to begin encouraging your child recognise the pattern of the dots to know how many instead of always counting.

11. Counting
Subitising once used confidently will help your child with later maths;
Number relationships – odd/even/more/ less
Doubling/ halving
Addition/subtraction
Recognising patterns
Justifying answers – how do you know?

12. Subitising We will be using as suggested dominoes and dice.
as well as introducing ten frames like this;

13. Subitising Our aim, of course is to begin with small numbers up to 10.
As the children become confident in their counting, subitising can be moved on to support recognising number relationships.

14. Subitising Here is an example; How many dots are there? 5
What can you see? 3 blue dots and 2 yellow dot! Ooh 3 and 2 make 5!
As you can imagine this recognition of a number relationship moves on to addition and then subtraction.

15. And so we have introduced doubling!
Subitising
Hopefully, you can see how Subitising helps to build foundations to support your child’s later learning.
For example using dominoes;
What do we call this domino?
Double one!
And so we have introduced doubling!

16. Numicon
Another key method of teaching and learning that we use at Meadowside is Numicon.
Used from Reception to Year 6 at Meadowside
Helps children understand numbers
Learn by doing
Learn by seeing (odd and even numbers)
Exploits their strong sense of pattern
Helps to recognise connections
Numbers form a highly organised system – which is full of patterns
Explains concept image

17. Numicon
These are what we call numicon shapes

18. Numicon Numicon supports valuable maths skills such as;
Develop reasoning – How do you know that 30 is ten more than 20? Because 30 has 3 tens and 20 only has 2!
Generalisation (looking for patterns) – Odd numbers have a bit sticking out.
Being Systematic – can you find 10 more? If I put another ten shape on I can find ten more.
Using and applying abstract ideas in real situations – I have 2 sweeties and I eat 1, there will be one left over! (subtraction)

19. Numicon – addition & subtraction
We can use these shapes to support addition and subtraction in a similar way as we may have used counters.
In addition children are encouraged to find the shape that represents the first digit and then position the shape representing the second digit next to/above or below to find the total.
Ie =
count the holes = 9

20. Numicon – addition & subtraction
Subtraction works in much the same way though we encourage children to place the second shape ON TOP of he first to find out how many left.
Ie =
Count the holes of the bottom shape that are still visible in this case 1. so the answer is 1

21. Numicon
In Reception we use Numicon as a physical representation of number value.
Numicon shapes also visually reinforce that numbers get bigger as they increase in value.
This also helps children to understand and be able to sequence numbers and find larger/smaller numbers
The Numicon shapes help to support children’s understanding of place value tens and ones. Allowing children to physically see and feel that twenty is represented by two tens thirty by three tens etc.
This also helps children to recognise patterns in numbers ie that tens numbers – 10,20,30… do not have any ones. Or that twenty number s always have two tens. Introducing this at an early age helps children later on when they come across partitioning numbers and adding/subtracting very large numbers.
With this , Numicon makes concepts of less/more doubling/halving much easier for children to visualise and so understand, allowing them to see what is happening rather than simply following a process with little understanding.
Numicon shapes support the understanding of odd and even with children often recognising the pattern that odd number have a ‘ sticky up bit’

22. Numicon
It is our intention to provide you will some laminated versions of dominoes, Numicon shapes and numeral cards to help you support you child at home.
I have also put together a booklet to help you with some ideas of game to play and reminders of some of the maths vocabulary we use now – I know it changes every year!

23. Thank you for listening!
Maths in Reception
Thank you for listening!
I hope this has been helpful!