Counting backwards is a really important skill. It starts off simply with counting songs and rote counting, but much later on develops into subtraction and other types of calculating. But how do you teach backward counting? Start to teach counting backwards with simple songs that practice the skill in a simple way. Use a variety …
Having taught maths for ten years to children from the age of 3-5, I have found that one of the most crucial early math skills is ordering numbers. It is a foundation block of learning, on which many other skills are then built. It is also something all of us use in our daily lives …
Understanding positional words is quite a long process. It takes most children a while to first comprehend the terms, and then longer again to start to use the words themselves. Having worked as a preschool teacher for many years, I have lots of tricks and games up my sleeve to get them going with this …
In the ten years I have spent teaching young children between the ages of 3 to 5, one of the most important secrets I have discovered is how to teach number recognition. Some children will just pick this up from exposure to numbers in their environment. However, for most children, this is a long process …
1 to 1 correspondence is super important! In the ten years I have taught young children between the ages of 3 and 5, I have found that 1:1 correspondence is a foundation for all the skills that come after it: adding, subtracting, finding one more and less, and lots of other things, too. Without one …
Puppets act like magic on young children! They can be the difference between children rolling around on the floor during a carpet time, or sitting in captivated awe! Children are usually far more excited by puppets than they are by humans, and the research suggests this also. But how can you use puppets in teaching? …
In ten years of teaching maths to children aged between 3 to 5 (as well as having three kids at home myself), I have found one of the most important foundation skills is rote counting. But what exactly is it? Rote counting is saying numbers in order. The numbers are not linked to counting objects …
Ten frames are really popular now in early education, and with good reason. They provide a really simple framework for children to develop lots of different maths skills, including counting, adding, number bonds, patterns, creating arrays, subetising, and many more! Ten frames are really good for children to start visualising maths in lots of different …
All children are passionately excited by bubbles! They create that kind of awe and wonder that is a beautiful thing to witness. They spark curiosity, generate talk, and get children moving, communicating and thinking. Of course blowing bubbles out of pots is one thing; bubble wands are great too! However, there are also a huge …
Getting maths into the outdoors is one of the biggest concerns many practitioners have. It is probably the thing I am asked about the most where maths is concerned. This post is by far the most comprehensive quantity of high-quality outdoor math activities for children aged 3 to 6 that you will be able to …