The first few years of a child’s life are especially important for mathematics development. Our objective is to ensure that all children develop firm mathematical foundations in a way that is engaging, and appropriate for their age.

There are six key areas of early mathematics learning, which collectively provide a platform for everything children will encounter as they progress through their maths learning at primary school, and beyond.

• Cardinality and Counting: Understanding that the cardinal value of a number refers to the quantity, or ‘howmanyness’ of things it represents
• Comparison: Understanding that comparing numbers involves knowing which numbers are worth more or less than each other
• Composition: Understanding that one number can be made up from (composed from) two or more smaller numbers
• Patterns: Looking for and finding patterns helps children notice and understand mathematical relationships
• Shape and Space: Understanding what happens when shapes move, or combine with other shapes, helps develop wider mathematical thinking
• Measures: Comparing different aspects such as length, weight and volume, as a preliminary to using units to compare later

Click on the links below to find some activities you can do with your child at home based on these six key areas. 

Useful Links: 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/numberblocks

https://nrich.maths.org/early-years

https://www.ncetm.org.uk/earlyyears