Maths
We are all mathematicians!
Maths is an essential part of our daily lives. Early mathematical knowledge is essential for children as it lays the foundational building blocks necessary for excelling in maths. It is important for mathematical thinking to be nurtured to provide children with vital life skills.
What does maths look like at Ocker Hill Infants and Nursery?
We understand that children are eager and able learners. Here at Ocker Hill, we ensure a love of learning is at the heart of all we do. Focusing on a growth mindset, we work hard to instil resilient attitudes in all our children, providing them with opportunities to develop perseverance, collaborate and celebrate mistakes. We use our learning character posters and teddies to reinforce these characteristics, our learning environments – learning pits and working walls, and lots of discussion.
Number sense refers to fluidity and flexibility with numbers and their relationships. Starting in nursery, we focus on developing this concept so that children develop their confidence and secure a firm foundation. We develop number sense through the prioritisation of; spatial awareness – including subitising, more and less, benchmarks of 5 and 10 and part-part-whole. In our practice and provision, we follow the number sense principles highlighted from the Early Years Maths Consultant - Karen Wilding. Accessing training led by Karen Wilding has developed our approach to maths, ensuring we promote meaningful maths.
In early maths we focus on the following six key areas of learning:
- Cardinality and Counting
- Comparison
- Composition
- Pattern
- Shape and Space
- Measures
To find out more about these areas of learning, please click the links below.
https://www.ncetm.org.uk/in-the-classroom/early-years/
Starting in reception, we also follow the Numberblocks programme which is used to embed key mathematical concepts.
In Key Stage One (KS1), in accordance with the national curriculum, we follow a scheme of learning from National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM). With carefully designed curriculum maps, we use expert guidance to aid our delivery of maths. We ensure children have engaging maths lessons with presentations, activities and resources that encourage mathematical exploration and competency. At Ocker Hill, we understand the importance of live feedback and actively encourage self and peer assessment, discussion and reasoning. This enables children to take a lead in their learning and promotes a safe learning environment.
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Mini Maths
Here at Ocker Hill Infants and Nursery, we follow the Mastering Number programme.
In addition to our maths lessons, in Reception, Year One and Year Two, we deliver 15 minutes mini maths sessions which are interactive and help to develop automaticity of number facts. Our children have daily opportunities to use Rekenreks (see image below) and Numberblocks. We understand the importance for children to have lots of opportunities to practise to embed and maintain fluency.
Aims:
- Our pupils can communicate their mathematical ideas.
- Our pupils will develop fluency in calculation and number sense.
- Our pupils will use appropriate manipulatives to explore mathematical structures.
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How to support your child
We understand the huge influential role parents have on children’s drive and motivation. Depending on your own experiences of maths, you may feel you require some support or ideas to assist your child in their maths learning.
Click on the below link to access the toolkit for advice and resources for you to support your child with maths.
https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/helping-children-maths
Please click on the link below for details shared at our recent Parent Maths Information Evening:
Maths Information Evening.pptx
Following the links you will find:
- Activities for you to do with your children.
- Information on how to talk to your children about maths.
- Tips to help your children with their homework.
The Oxford Owl website has a lot of informative videos explaining maths concepts and top tips for practising maths skills.
The example video below, explains the concept of subitising.
There is also a range of fun and interactive games and activities you could enjoy with your children. Use the link below.
https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/kids-activities/fun-maths-games-and-activities/
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Celebrating Maths
Here at Ocker Hill Infants and Nursery, we love providing children with opportunities to celebrate and enjoy their learning. Throughout the academic year we have special days where we explore maths with a specific focus.
See the events scheduled for this academic year, below.
- Number Day (NSPCC) -
- Ocker Hill Maths Day -
- Money Matters -
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Our Maths Bookcase
Welcome to Ocker Hill Infants and Nursery School’s Bookcase
Books are an excellent way for all learners to explore new mathematical ideas. Children and adults can enjoyably engage with number facts, shapes, and measures using picture books. These books present maths in a fun context and encourage children to apply these concepts to real-world scenarios.
We cherish the world of reading and its transformative power in young minds. Backed by research and experts, we believe that when children have opportunities to enjoy maths books and stories from an early age, their mathematical understanding and number skills improve. Maths stories are frequently shared with all children at our school. Sometimes, they are incorporated into a lesson; they may be shared in an assembly, on maths celebration days, or for our afternoon story sessions. We would love for you to enjoy maths stories at home, too!
Reading maths stories helps children to understand key learning areas. They show children how maths is a part of everyday life, filled with problem-solving and reasoning.
We have picked out some of our favourite maths books that are fun to read, making learning an adventure of exploration and discovery.
Here is a list of books recommended for children aged 3-7 years. Many of these books can be borrowed from local libraries or purchased from supermarkets and bookstores like Waterstones, WHSmith, or even Amazon. These books can be enjoyed with an adult, siblings, or independently.
Recommended Reading
Number -
Handa’s Surprise
Handa’s Hen
Dog’s Colourful Day
Who Sank the Boat?
Abigail
Billy’s Bucket
Maisy goes Camping
Kipper’s Toybox
How Big is a Million?
The Shopping Basket
Geometry -
Lucy in the City
Henry’s Map
Walter’s Wonderful Web
Rosie’s Walk
Grandpa’s Quilt
Measures -
Titch
Cook It!
Biscuit Bear
Dear Zoo
5 Minutes Peace
The Bad Tempered Ladybird
The Great Pet Sale
There are lots of other recommended stories that you could have a look at from the links below.
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Our Maths Vision
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Please see our maths policy below
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Take a look at our Curriculum Maps for KS1
