1) Counting
It is important to know that there are two steps to counting – rote learning and one-to-one correspondence. The counting activities on this website have been designed to develop one-to-one correspondence but I have included information and ideas for rote learning below.
For both steps, start by counting from 1 to 5, and once your child is confident with that, move on to 1-10, then 1-20 etc.
Rote Counting
Rote counting is simply reciting the numbers in order (eg. saying, “One, two, three, four, five …..”). This can be done from an early age and it is very easy to find ways to count every day. Count the stairs as you walk up or down, count strawberries as you put them in the bowl, count their toys as you get them out – count everything you can! By using the language constantly, your child will soon start to count along with you. Listening to nursery rhymes and songs which involve counting such as ‘1,2,3,4,5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive’ and ‘1,2 Buckle my Shoe’ are also a great way to teach rote counting as your child will memorise the songs. Books with stories about counting are also extremely effective. Practical games and activities (eg. ‘Hide and Seek’) and bringing counting into play will also provide opportunities to develop this skill. It is worth bearing in mind that rote counting is a memory task and therefore will not actually mean anything to your child; reciting numbers just sounds like a mere rhyme. Therefore, being able to rote count does not guarantee that your child is able to count objects, understand quantity or develop number sense at this stage.
One-to-One Correspondence
As soon as your child is confident with rote counting, they are ready to move on to one-to-one correspondence and this is where the activities on our website start. Counting with one-to-one correspondence involves actually touching each object and saying the numeral name aloud, which is a much more complex skill for young children as it involves developing their number sense and making links to quantity. Activities that involve objects which children can hold in their hands and manipulate are the most effective for teaching the concept of one-to-one correspondence and all of our activities provide opportunities for this. It is important to allow young children to have lots of practise with this skill, so choose the activities that you like from this section (or try all of them) and repeat as many times as you like. Repetition is key to developing a thorough understanding.
2) Number Recognition
Recognising numbers is one of the most important early steps for Maths. You can begin by pointing out lots of different numbers to your child, such as the numbers on front doors, on signs, in books etc. After a while your child will understand that the word ’two’ can also be written as a number ’2’. Children will need lots of practise in this area so choose the activities you like from this section and repeat them as many times as you like. Repetition is key to a thorough understanding. Or why not try them all?
3) Ordering Numbers
One of the government’s early learning goals for Maths is for children to order numbers 1-20. Learning about ordering and comparing numbers provides a basis for understanding other mathematical concepts. Our activities are designed to provide many practical, fun ways for your child to practise this skill. Simply choose from this section (or try them all) and repeat as many times as you like. Repetition allows children to gain a deeper understanding of the skill.
4) Addition
One of the government’s early learning goals for Maths is for children to add two single-digit numbers. Children will be ready to do this when they have a solid understanding of the activities in the previous sections. It is important that young children understand what addition really means before they learn how to complete abstract calculations. The best way to do this is to start by using every-day situations (eg. “I have one apple and you have one apple so that makes two apples altogether”). Playing games like ‘shops’ also helps – placing different items in the basket and adding them together. The language of addition is also important to explore at this stage (add, equals, altogether etc.). Using objects promotes the understanding of addition as it allows children to visualise the problem and solve it by physically moving the objects together. This is a strategy which all of our activities use. There are activities for early addition as well as moving on to introduce written calculations using symbols. Simply choose from this section and repeat as many times as you like to develop confidence and deepen understanding.
5) Subtraction
One of the government’s early learning goals for Maths is for children to subtract two single-digit numbers. Addition will provide students with the basic knowledge that they will use for subtraction, so it is important that your child is confident in this area before moving on. It is important that young children understand what subtraction really means before they learn how to complete abstract calculations. The best way to do this is to start by using every-day situations and games (see the addition section for ideas). The language of subtraction is also important to explore at this stage (subtract, take-away, equals, how many are left etc.). Using objects promotes the understanding of subtraction as it allows children to visualise the problem and solve it by physically moving the objects away. This is a strategy which all of our activities use. There are activities for early subtraction as well as moving on to introduce written calculations using symbols. Simply choose from this section and repeat as many times as you like to develop confidence and deepen understanding.
Glossary of Terms
As well as developing numbers, many of our activities provide perfect opportunities to practise and refine other skills as well. These skills are written in blue italics throughout the activities and are defined here:-
Fine Motor Skills – are achieved when children learn to use their smaller muscles, for example in their hands, fingers and wrists. Children use their fine motor skills when writing, buttoning clothing, cutting with scissors etc. This skill requires precision and co-ordination.
Gross Motor Skills – utilize larger muscle groups and control every day actions such as throwing and kicking as well as walking and jumping etc. They require less precision than fine motor skills.
Estimation Skills – roughly calculating a number (for younger children, ‘guessing’ how many objects there are).
Hand / Eye Co-ordination – the ability to carry out activities that require the simultaneous use of our hands and eyes.
Number Formation – the ability to write numerals correctly.
Number Recognition – the ability to identify numerals correctly.
Shape Recognition – the ability to identify shapes correctly.
