Parent Maths Booklet
Early Years
Welcome…
Maths, can feel very daunting when trying to support your child’s learning at home. Many parents find that as their children progress through school they are using methods, strategies and vocabulary, which are very different from those used in the past and which can seem very confusing. This is the first in a series of booklets you will receive while your child is at St Mary the Virgin Primary School. It has been prepared to give you an idea of the mathematical strategies and experiences your child will have during the Foundation Stage as well as some practical ways in which you can support their learning.
So, what is Maths? While a large part of maths is about numbers, it also encompasses many other areas. maths is numbers, measuring, data, and shape and space. Your child will learn about all of these. They will learn about using symbols, graphs and charts, about the language of measuring, length, weight, capacity and time. At St Mary’s we believe that your child will learn best when they are relaxed and happy, so in the Foundation Stage maths activities are practical and all about having fun! Here are a few examples of the activities your child might enjoy while developing their mathematical skills: Playing with sand and water Building with construction toys Making models, cutting and sticking Stories and rhymes Sharing their learning with the class Playing in the role play area Exploring the outdoor learning area
Numbers Saying numbers… Your child will learn to say the number words. It is perfectly normal for them to get the first few in the right order and then jumble up other familiar number words. In time, they learn to say the words in the right order, as well as forwards and backwards. Your child will begin with the numbers to 10, moving on to larger numbers when they are ready. Counting… Young children often get the message that counting is ‘saying’ the number words but saying the number words is not the same as counting. Counting is a difficult skill; you have to be aware of the relationship between the number words and an amount. For young children this means being able to remember the number words in the correct order and point to objects at the same time so that they are matching the number name and the quantity correctly. Recognising numbers… Recognising written numbers is an important part of your child’s mathematical learning. To begin with they will recognise numbers that mean something to them or that they see often, such as their age or house number. As they become more familiar with written numbers they will be able to read them in order and when mixed up. As your child progresses they will learn to write the numbers. However, writing is a matter of hand control and co-ordination so don’t worry if this takes time to develop; it is more important for them to be able to recognise numbers; the writing will come later.
Calculating As adults we tend to think of calculating as ‘sums’ such as 23 + 15=. Doing written sums too early can confuse many children and put them off maths. So, at the start of their St Mary’s journey it is not vital for your child to know what the calculation signs mean; it is more important that they can talk about the ideas involved. To begin with the ideas are explored in very practical ways; for example, children understand having three biscuits, eating one and having two biscuits left. Other ways to help your child develop their calculation skills could include: Comparing groups of objects – Who has the most toys? The least sweets? The same number of biscuits? Find totals by counting in steps of one and working out what one more or one less is– How many apples do we have? We need one more/less apple, how many would that be? Use the language of addition and subtraction – I have 3 red apples and 1 green apple, how many do I have altogether?
Shapes Again, the learning involved in shapes is very practical. The children are involved in fun activities that involve matching shapes, looking for similarities and differences between shapes, using the vocabulary of shapes such as round, flat, corners and basic shape names such circle, square, rectangle and triangle, and exploring shapes in the environment.
Measure
Your child will learn to use a range of words as they explore measures like heavy, light, tall and short. To begin with they may say ‘big’ or ‘little’ for everything, whether for size or weight measuring. However, they will soon learn that certain words are used when talking about specific measures; for example long, tall, high, wide and short are all words to do with measuring length.
How can you support your child with their Maths? Take advantage of numbers wherever and whenever! Walking to school
Identifying house numbers. What number comes next? Which side of the street has the even numbers/odd numbers? Estimate and count the steps between lampposts. Count backwards on the way home. Sing number songs. Count how many cuboids, spheres and cylinders you can spot. Which did you see most of?
Takings For this game you will need a dice and a collection of small things such as Lego bricks, sticky shapes or dried beans. You will also need pencil and paper. Take turns. Roll a dice. Take that number of beans. Write down the number. Keep rolling the dice and taking that number of beans but, before you take them, you must write down your new total. For example, Jack has 7. He throws 4. He has to work out how many he will have now. He starts counting from seven: eight, nine, ten, eleven. He writes 11. You can only take your beans if you are right. The first person to collect 20 beans wins! Dicey coins For this game you need a dice and about twenty 10p coins. Take turns to roll the dice and take that number of 10p coins. Guess how much money this is. Then count aloud in tens to check, e.g. saying ten, twenty, thirty, forty… If you do this correctly you keep one of the 10p pieces. First person to collect £1 wins. Don't forget to give the coins back!
In the car
Listen and sing along to number song cds. Choose a colour car each and keep a count/tally of how many cars you each see. The person with the most wins. Add the numbers together on car number plates. This can be developed to car bingo - each chooses a target number (best to 10). Think about which pairs of numbers add to make your target. Look out for cars that have two numbers that add up to your target number. The first person to shout bingo when they see a car with their target number wins.
At home
Count the steps as you go upstairs, count backwards as you come down. Develop this to counting in 2s, 10s, or 5s as you go up/down each step.
Have count downs to special events. Look at a calendar. Find out how many days there are in a week, in each month, in a year. How many weeks are in a year? How many months are there in a year? Name them. Which is the sixth/last/ month etc.? When are the birthdays or important dates in your family’s year? Put them in order.
Count how long it takes to brush your teeth, tie your shoelaces etc.
What can you do in the time it takes to count to 100 – get dressed, have a shower, etc.?
Count money in purses/piggy banks. The coin sorting money boxes are great for counting in 2s, 5, and 10s.
Have fun playing maths games – snakes and ladders etc. or make up your own. Here are a few ideas:
Adding circles For this game, you need a dice and pencil and paper. Each of you should draw four circles on your piece of paper. Write a different number between 2 and 12 in each circle. Roll the dice twice. Add the two numbers. If the total is one of the numbers in your circles then you may cross it out. The first person to cross out all four circles wins. Helpful Websites http://www.primarygames.co.uk/pg2/splat/splatsq100.html ( hundred square splat) http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/ ( all maths computer games) http://www.maths-games.org/ ( all maths games) http://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/5-7-years/counting ( all maths computer games)
