Calculating Ideas For Nursery

[Guest]

Hi all, hope everyone is having a relaxing half term.

 

Just looking at gaps I have in coverage for focus activities and the calculating aspect of PSRN seems to be lacking! I'm therefore trying to plan a focused activity covering this, but the development matters statements seem very tricky for nursery in this area. Think my children will on be only the 16mths! We are doing mini-beasts as a topic, covering spiders next week.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions please? Really struggling for this aspect.

Thank you. x

Edited April 15, 2010 by Guest

[AnonyMouse_6716]

Hi - don't have any great ideas at mo - will put thinking cap on! Just wanted to say that we were discussing progress at work and Calculating is where we commonly find we have gaps - maybe it's a less obvious area to observe??

[AnonyMouse_73]

I think calculating is an area where people dont always see what is going on rather than it not happening.

Sometimes if Im not sure about some of the development matters statements, I find it really helpful to look at the other columns, especially the look listen and note.

 

This area is very much about making comparisons of quantity, sorting and categorizing things, and snack time is a perfect example of when children often naturally do this.. hes got more than me,, if i have one more.. how can we share these out etc etc.. very young children can often work out that there are more children than pieces of banana for example.

 

Its also fun to do activities involving separating a given amount in different ways.. if you're doing minibeast then how about 5 ladybird spots.. how can we arrange them on the ladybird halves or biscuits with smarties on top (or raisins or whatever).. this can also be done with playdough.

 

I would also recommend that you have a look at this if you haven't seen it already.

[AnonyMouse_25098]

Hi

 

You could try this publication 'Maths Activities for the Foundation Stage- Nursery' (there is also a reception one). You can download it from here (if the link doesn't work just google the title- I haven't done this before) http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/defa...=DfES+0187+2002 it's an old publication but I still find it really useful. It has loads of calculating activities in it. It divides activities into large group, small group and planned play/cooking activities.

Good luck

 

Julie

[Guest]

This is an area I'm struggling with at the moment too. I want to do some calculating activities in key groups (13 children) and in small groups to assess where the children currently are. Previous assessments show they are all within the 16-26 month and 22-36 month age bands, but I've been off work for 3 months and really want to focus and move them on in this area of learning. The guidance in the EYFS book really isn't inspiring me or guiding me either! I feel like I'm looking for too much in the statements and trying to make it more than it is?! Argh!!

 

What do all of you consider as achievements towards these statements: 'Begin to make comparisons between quantities' and 'Know that a group of things changes in quantity when something is added or taken away'.

 

And what activities do you do to teach / look for evidence towards these statements.

 

Thanks

[Guest]

It's an area that doesn't always fit easily into continuous provision, so I've made a special box for staff with different resources that facilitate this area, that way they can grab the box and put it wherever (in role play, play dough, sand, etc.) The box has: set of scales, set of different sized measuring bottles, till, tape measure, etc. It could go in shop (role play) but also with some weights (play dough), with the water tray (measuring bottles) and so on.