There's more to maths than counting! We all use maths skills in our daily lives and finding opportunities for supporting young children with numbers, shapes, space and measures in your childcare setting is easy when you know how.
Maths and the EYFS
Maths is one of the four specific areas within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). Each specific area is divided into Early Learning Goals, for maths these are:
- Number
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Have a deep understanding of number to 10, including the composition of each number;
- Subitise (recognise quantities without counting) up to 5;
- Automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids) number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to 10, including double facts.
- Numerical Patterns
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system;
- Compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognising when one quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity;
- Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally.
Best practice and activity ideas
Children learn about maths through play and their daily experiences. And the more meaningful to them and hands on it is, the better.
Make sure your setting's environment (both indoors and out) is full of mathematical opportunities and has exciting things for children to explore, sort, compare, count, calculate and describe. Support them to be creative, critical thinkers, problem solvers and to have a go.
Snack time
Children love to help, so think about the mathematical learning opportunities in a daily routine like preparing the snack table:
- when halving or quartering fruit, ask the children to tell you how many pieces there are
- can they tell you whether the pieces are bigger or smaller than each other
- have a variety of foods, sort them onto plates and ask what's the same or different (for example look, feel and smell)
- measure capacity together when pouring drinks
- ask whether you have enough chairs or cups for everyone and if you need to take some away
- use a visual timetable to sequence the order of events and time.
Stories, rhymes and games
Stories, songs, rhymes and games that have a mathematical content help children understand number systems. Particularly if you give them time to talk, play and practice using numbers. Using your fingers or having objects that the children can see and touch will help too.
Our Reading in the EYFS page has more ideas for using stories and rhymes.
Physical development
Babies learn about space, shape and size through mouthing, handling and exploring objects. Older children are more likely to understand mathematical concepts like position and size if they're able to use their body movements and senses to feel what it's like to be in, on or under something. Try our Physical development in the EYFS page for ideas.
Working with dads, mums and carers
To help parents to support their child's maths skills at home, why not share these free Count with me leaflets? They're full of easy little tips and are broken down into age groups from birth to five years old.
Need advice?
If you'd like more advice or support, contact your area Early Years Educational Effectiveness Team email:
earlyyearsadvisors@surreycc.gov.uk and subscribe to our Childcare professionals update e-bulletin
