Inspiring Ideas to Support Early Maths and Literacy

Stories, rhymes and everyday materials

Janet Rees

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN:
  9781317278016
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Inspiring Ideas to Support Early Maths and Literacy takes a play-based approach and draws on popular stories and rhymes to cover the key areas of mathematics and literacy. Full of practical, tried and tested ideas for developing understanding in mathematics and literacy, this book aims to help practitioners make these areas of learning exciting and meaningful for young children.

Each chapter shows how learning can be reinforced and brought to life through resources made from everyday materials, providing children with an enjoyable and positive learning experience. Key features include:

• clear instructions and full colour photographs on how to make practical resources for indoor and outdoor environments

• vocabulary lists for inspiration and ideas for developing a new play space or overhauling an existing space

• key questions to consider when planning and designing an indoor or outdoor play space

• links to the Early Years Foundation Stage that will guide the development of a future playground and challenge providers to enhance their practice.

This practical resource will be essential reading for primary teachers, early years practitioners, students and all those interested in developing young children's confidence in mathematics and literacy.

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Chapter 1 Paperware

DOI: 10.4324/9781315640778-1

This chapter looks at how paperware can be used to help children’s communication and language, maths and vocabulary. It includes activities using paper plates, wrapping paper, serviettes, kitchen rolls and tablecloths.

Paper plates

Paper plates are one of the most useful mathematical models ever produced, and can be used in games to help children understand how ‘more’ and ‘less’ work. The main learning objectives for the following activities are:

Communication and language

Understanding: Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences.

Vocabulary

Number, zero, one, two, three . . .

How many?

More, less, one more, one less

How did you work it out?

Start with

The same as

More than

Less than

To make this useful mathematical model, take two different-coloured, plain paper plates. Place one on top of the other and cut the radius (from the edge to the centre).

Separate them and slot one into the other.

Press them flat so that the top one turns on top of the lower one.

Children can cut their own if they are able.

Each child has a set.

At this point give time for the children to play with the plates, finding out how they move around and then move back again. Don’t be too quick to ask questions. As with any new resource, children will work better if they are familiar with what they can do.

Now ask a question such as ‘Can you show me more red than white?’

As long as more red than white is shown, whatever the child does will be correct. This allows much more opportunity to ‘get the right answer’.

Continue with other instructions such as:

‘Show me less red than white.’

‘Show me the same amount of red and white.’

Ask the children to work in pairs and ask each other questions.

So we have looked at more than, less than and the same as.

Change one of the plates so that there are pictures showing.

Using the plates as before:

‘Show me one flower.’

‘Show me more than one flower.’

‘Show me three flowers. Take one away. How many are left?’

This is where the play opportunity from before becomes useful. Children will know that to show more the plate is turned one way, and to show less it needs to be turned the opposite way.

By changing one of the plates there will be opportunities to go to higher numbers.

Using pictures of animals can develop a link with ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’.

‘Show me two chickens.’

‘Show me four animals.’

‘How many can you see?’

If there isn’t a ready-made plate with pictures that interest the child, use pictures cut from wrapping paper, serviettes or downloaded from the internet, and stick them on.

Stick the pictures where you want them onto a plain white plate and cover the whole plate with a thin layer of PVA glue. This will help to keep the pictures in place when the plates are turned, and also gives a shiny finish so that the plates turn more easily. You can have one, two, three or more pictures according to the age, ability and interest of the child. And, of course, the size of the plate.

You can buy or recycle paper plates. For example, when planning a party for a child, choose paper plates that you can use afterwards. As long as there has been no jelly on the plate, they usually clean nicely with a damp cloth. Jelly makes them too soggy!

Wrapping paper

Wrapping paper is a cheap resource. Some of it is designed to appeal to children, being full of popular and contemporary characters suitable for a wide range of games. Why spend time drawing and colouring when it has already been done for you? (Unless you love colouring in! A legacy from your school days perhaps?)

Below are the main learning objectives for the following activities.

Communication and language

Understanding: Children follow instructions involving several ideas or actions. They answer ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions about their experiences.

Children have opportunities to experience a rich language environment and to develop their confidence and skills in expressing themselves.

Vocabulary

Number, zero, one, two, three . . .

How many?

Count

Game, match, same, different

Long, short, wide, narrow, thick, thin, longer than, shorter than

Curved, straight, across, up, down

Mathematics

Numbers: Children count reliably with numbers one to twenty.

They develop and improve their skills in counting, understanding and using numbers.

Children investigate and experience things and ‘have a go’.

Active learning: Children concentrate and keep on trying if they encounter difficulties and enjoy achievements.

Creating and thinking critically: Children have and develop their own ideas, make links between ideas and develop strategies for doing things.

Look in any shop that sells wrapping paper and you will see what children are interested in. A great deal of research has been done to produce designs that children respond positively to. Use that research and buy a sheet of wrapping paper! Once an image has gone from duvet covers, curtains and wrapping paper, it generally means that children have moved on in their interests.

Use the pictures to make a variety of games such as:

Dominoes

A traditional set has 28 dominoes, but make the number lower for younger children. The aim is to make the game fun to play, but if the game takes too long, some children may give up before the end.

Glue the pictures onto the back of cereal packets. Invite the children to help spread the glue and possibly cut the pictures. Involve children as much as possible with the construction of games. They will be much more willing to play (although you may have to wait several days for the glue to dry!).

One of the wonderful things about dominoes is that anyone can learn the basics of picture-matching. Some children may need extra help so make the pictures large and colourful, without fussy backgrounds. Use textures such as sandpaper for house bricks (‘Three Little Pigs’) or fur fabric for animals. Add anything to help children distinguish between the pictures as long as the additions are well stuck on, in case children are tempted to pull them off and taste them!

The basis of most domino games is to lay down one domino next to another, so that the pictures, shapes, colours or spots match each other.

Don’t always play in a straight line. Go wild and turn a corner sometimes.

Snap

Snap is a card game where all of the cards are shuffled and dealt equally to the players. The cards are left face down in a pile in front of each player.

Players take it in turn to take the top card from their pile and place it face up in the middle. When someone turns over a card that matches the card in the middle, the players race to be the first to say ‘Snap!’ That player then takes all of the cards from the centre pile.

The player who wins all of the cards wins the game.

As before, use tactile materials to highlight textures and use large, bold pictures. There is no good reason why children with physical or sensory disabilities should always work on any sort of separate programme. For most of them it is simply a question of access, and materials should be adapted to meet their particular needs so that they can work alongside their peers.

The pictures can be from any source. I usually look for wrapping paper first as that tends to be the cheapest. But they can be from an old book, greeting cards or children’s own drawings. (I know these are cheaper than wrapping paper, but sometimes the drawings can be open to different interpretations!)

Another source of pictures is rubber stamps. A possible drawback to these is that they are often quite small.

Bingo

There is a huge amount of satisfaction that comes from shouting out the word ‘BINGO!’

Bingo is an easy game to play. Once children understand the game, you can mix up the rules to make the game more interesting. It can be played as one-to-one or with a small group.

A bingo board consists of a 5 × 5 grid, but can easily be reduced to 3 × 3 or even 2 × 2.

Make your board by covering individual squares of the grid with pictures of your choice. The aim of the game is to cover all the squares on the grid with matching pictures.

The caller uses a matching set of cards or a spinner to match the pictures on the board. As the caller holds up a card or spins the spinner, the players must identify the picture on their boards and cover it.

When one player’s board is covered, the game ends. If animal pictures are used, the children can make an animal sound instead of shouting ‘BINGO!’, or they can make a silly face or jump up and down. Asking the children to come up with their own ways is a good way of encouraging creativity.

Snakes and Ladders

Snakes and Ladders is a game that has interested generations of children and often their parents too! It is easy to play and a lot of fun. Make your own Snakes and Ladders board us...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• 1. Paperware
• 2. Bags, boxes and cardboard tubes
• 3. Hair-related items
• 4. Number lines
• 5. Don’t throw this away
• 6. Useful resources
• Index