Easy and simple ways to support children’s Mathematical development in Nursery
For some practitioner’s planning mathematical activities can have it challenges. Having a clear understanding of what maths is can really help when it comes to providing those quality maths experiences. It is not always about ensuring you are offering maths activities as long as there are maths concepts within other experiences for example when playing with the large building blocks children will be learning about size, shape and measure.
There are many ways practitioners can support children’s mathematical development in nursery, and sharing these ideas with parents will help reinforce those early maths concepts.
Within mathematical development there are many areas for practitioners to concentrate on whether this is children’s courting skills or their awareness to different shapes in the environment.
Here are a few ways practitioners can help develop children’s mathematical skills
- When playing in the role play encourage children to count the items of play in their shopping baskets
- Encourage children to Count pieces of fruit in their bowl during snack.
- At meals times support children in counting the number of children at each table
- During circle time count how many boys and girls are at nursery?
- When playing with other items such the bricks talk about how many are of the same colour or shape.
- Introduce number songs into your routine, encourage children to use their fingers to count with
- Count the number of buckets etc in the sand tray
- When putting coat on count how many buttons
- For older children support them in laying the table for dinner and ask them how many forks, knives and spoons will we needed?’
- Plan a baking session let the children weight the ingredients
- Talk about the temperature for baking a cake
- Talk about the different structures children make from the large blocks, use mathematical language eg big, small, tall, short
- When out in the community encourage children to look at the shapes in shops, on house on signs etc
- Count trees, flowers, birds
- Support the children in gardening activities as this will help children learn about time
- Make a height chart and let children measure themselves
- Use chalks outside to make lines on the floor and talk about which is the longest
- For the younger children offer them a variety of treasure baskets contain objects of different sizes.
This is just a very short list there are many other opportunities that you can introduce into your everyday practice. It is important not to forget that introducing children to mathematical concepts at young age can help them later on in life.