Maths
Mathematics is all around us in the world and environments we live in, making it a vital tool for everyday life. At Sarisbury Infant School we recognise its importance and through our aims support every child in becoming a confident and proficient mathematician.
Mathematics Curriculum
In Year R, our Early Years team provide opportunities for the children to become preficient using numbers to 10 and beyond and spend time enhancing their continuous provision to allow the children to become secure in their number knowledge. This includes maths table top activties which are changed weekly and reflect the current focus in the planning which could be subitising, 1 more/1 less, missing numbers, understanding about each individual number through varied activities. Children also have access to various provision within the classroom as well as enhancements in the outside area which children can consoldiate their current and previous learning throught their play. They also experience other aspects of maths such as shape, space and measure, opportunities for problem solving, formation of their numbers, number bonds, numerical patterns, sharing and many others too.
The National Curriculum provides teachers with objectives to be covered in each year group. At Sarisbury Infants, we currently follow the planning created by the Hampshire Maths Team which sets out long term, medium term and weekly plans. Teachers use this framework to plan exciting, engaging and practical mathematical units of work. This allows children to build foundations in Mathematics and also gives them opportunities to deepen their learning by making links and connections across the different domains. The Hampshire planning scheme is like a spiral. We cover the different mathematic domains multiple times over the the academic year but each time the learning gets deeper providing the children multiple opportunities to practise the same skill. The planning is progressive as it builds on from the end of Year R up to Year 2 to ensure that children become fluent in their mathematical understanding. Each week, our KS1 teachers adapt the maths curriculum to best suit the needs of their children and ensure it is differenciated accordingly to enable them to succeed in their learning. Support and challenges are given where appropriate to ensure our children can be the best that they can be.
At Sarisbury children experience 'Maths Marines', a ten minute mental maths activity, for example jumping on every even number up to 20. In addition to this, within a morning whole class input on a chosen concept, for example adding on an empty number line, children are always actively involved and misconceptions are dealt with carefully, not to hinder a child's confidence. According to the children's needs and next steps, teachers might ask children to work independently, in pairs, in small groups or as part as a carousel. After an input, children complete differentiated activities linked to the whole class learning with the teacher, there to support and extend their learning where necessary. Typically, alongside a teacher's 'guided group', children will have to complete an independent activity. This activity could be: a deeper thinking question reflecting the input, a pre-assessment piece so that the teacher can judge where to 'pitch' the level of work, applying a concept in a different way, practising a specific personalised learning target or deepening and applying previously learnt skills.
See below for some images of maths in action at Sarisbury.
Within each classroom, visual prompts are used to aid children through the use of 'working walls'. The Maths Working Walls are linked to the week's specific learning and includes a W.A.G.O.L.L - What A Good One Looks Like. Examples of tasks, concepts, key vocabualry or stategies are displayed at children's eye level, to use as a prompt in their learning and explain their thinking. See the pictures below of KS1 Working Walls and Reception activities.
In maths Harri Heart helps us stay safe by reminding us how to use the equipment safely. We always make sure we look after our resources and treat them with respect.
Home/School Links
At the beginning of each academic year, we deliver a mathematics workshop for parents/guardians to attend. In this session we show the progression of learning from Year R through to Year 2 and highlight what the expectations of children are for the end of each year group. Most importantly we model the strategies used to teach the four mathematical operations and concepts. Throughout the year ‘Maths Tool Bags’ are sold which can be used to support children’s maths learning at home.
Home learning can sometimes be maths related and will lead on from a concept the children have been taught in school aleady so they have some knowledge to share at home. Often there is also an activity linked to our maths marines sessions so the children have the opportunity to practise their fluency of number recall at home, as well as at school e.g. 1 more/1 less, multiplication number facts, counting forwards and backwards from different starting numbers in jumps on 1's and then moving on to 2's, 5's and 10's.
To support number recognition and counting at home, please see the below links to online games to play with your child. Number recognition, counting and ordering up to 20 and then beyond, are crucial foundations for children’s learning of number. We suggest that you start by securing understanding with numbers 0-5 then progress to 0-10 and then 0-20.
Please adapt these games to best suit your child’s interests. Plus, playing them ‘little and often’ will help to secure their understanding of the number system.
Snakes and Ladders, Ludo, dominoes and card games support oral counting and recognition of numbers. Using questions whilst playing can challenge their thinking. Good questions to ask are: What number do you need to roll to avoid the snake/to reach the ladder/to get home? How many more did I roll than you? What’s the biggest number you can move? What if we used two dice?
What’s Missing? Using number cards 0-5/10/20, ask your child to put them in order. Then ask them to close their eyes whilst you remove one of the cards. Can they tell you which card is missing? How do they know? Then close your eyes and ask your child to remove a card either verbalise how you reach your decision i.e. 1,2,3,5,6…that's not right! 5 doesn't come after 3? 3 isn't one less than 5! Or deliberately make a mistake so that your child has explain the right answer and why.
Highest Wins. Using a pack of cards with the picture cards removed, deal the pack between two players. Both players turn over a card and the person with the highest number wins a counter (or a sweet!). The winner is the first person to collect 10 counters/sweets. Variations: Play lowest wins! The difference between the cards has to be more than 1. You turn your card over first and then ask your child what numbers they need to turn over to win the counter.
Invisible Number Line. Using number cards 0-5/10/20, use a piece of ribbon or string as the structure for the number line. Turn the cards face down and ask your child to choose one. Where on the number line would it sit? How do you know? What would be at the beginning/end? Do you need to leave a space? Why? What number would go between those numbers?
Drop Out. Using a handful of small bricks, dried beans or pasta, pick up a handful of items and how them to your child, ask them to count them. Turn around so that they can’t see and remove some of the objects. Show them the remaining items and ask them how many were taken. Start with a small number i.e. 5 and build up to larger numbers.
Maths Workshop
Please click here to find the presentation for the Maths Workshop.
Multiply Games Night
We had a fantastic turn out for our family games night where the children and their grown ups spent time playing and learning new games together. Here's some feedback from our parents who attended...
'always lovely to see how games can make maths fun'
'it was fun and children really enjoyed the maths games'
'I love the idea of learning maths through games'
'a really fun way to learn maths as a family'.
Here are some photos from the evening!
At Home
Click on the websites below to access free resources, activities and games to use with your child at home.