We want children to feel confident with numbers up to 5.
We want them to really understand:

• What numbers mean
• How numbers connect to each other
• The patterns numbers make

To help them learn, children take part in many hands-on activities (learning by doing).

For example:

• Counting pebbles or counters
• Using 5-frames (a tool to help children see numbers up to 5 clearly)
• Playing counting games in the playground and dice board games
• Laying the table in role play and thinking: “How many friends are coming to my party? How many plates do I need?”

These activities help children:

• Build strong number knowledge
• Learn correct mathematical vocabulary (maths words)
• Get ready for future maths learning

Children also learn about:

• Shapes
• Space
• Measuring

This helps them develop:

• Spatial awareness (understanding space and where things are)
• Problem-solving skills

They learn in a sensory, hands-on way (touching, building, exploring).

For example:

• Building houses with wooden blocks or Duplo
• Comparing and measuring toy dinosaurs
• Racing toy cars down slopes
• Filling and emptying buckets with sand and water

Most importantly, we want children to feel positive about maths.

We encourage them to:

• Look for patterns
• Notice connections
• Talk about their thinking
• Try challenges
• Understand that making mistakes is normal and helps us learn