Children develop numeracy and maths skills through everyday activities like counting, looking at shapes, and talking about sizes.
Download the Counting printable resource
Curriculum
Early Years Learning Framework (ELYF)
- Children are connected with and contribute to their world
- Children are confident and involved learners
- Children are effective communicators
Number and algebra:
- Demonstrates an understanding of how whole numbers indicate quantity. (MAE-RWN-01)
- Reads numerals and represents whole numbers to at least 20. (MAE-RWN-02)
- Develops understanding and fluency in mathematics through exploring and connecting mathematical concepts, choosing and applying mathematical techniques to solve problems, and communicating their thinking and reasoning coherently and clearly. (MAE-WM-01)
National Numeracy Learning Progressions (LPs)
Families
Read (2 mins)
Counting is the process used to find out how many objects are in a set.
Counting is one of the first experiences of maths for young children. Learning to say numbers often begins with a favourite song or rhyme and the repetition of the number names. Children will often say the numbers before they visually recognise and identify individual numbers.
Focusing on the ‘everyday’ facilitates learning and conveys to
children that mathematics is stimulating, fun and relevant.
The achievement of higher order mathematical skills relies
on the achievement of foundational skills.
Explore (10 mins)
Some ideas for learning in the everyday:
- Count the number of people travelling in the car or bus.
- Cut fruit into pieces and ask your child to count the pieces.
- Practise counting when grocery shopping with your child (count the number of apples you put into your bag).
- Count how many steps it takes to walk from the kitchen to the bathroom.
- Sing songs like ’10 Green Bottles and 5 Little Monkeys’.
- Share the story ‘Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes’ by Mem Fox.
Teachers
Reflect (30 mins)
Reflect on your knowledge and practice. Consider the EYLF, NSW Syllabus and LPs:
- Where have these children come from?
- Where are you taking them?
Think about the learning happening in your classroom that builds the knowledge and skills for counting.
What do you expect from the early learner?
What do you want parents to know about counting?
How is counting used across the curriculum?
Consider this skill – What are the connections between literacy and numeracy?
This is an opportunity to share what counting looks like in your classroom.
Engage (45 mins)
Engage in a learning conversation with parents. Suggested conversation starters:
- Is there anything in the video that challenged your thinking about learning?
- What foundational counting skills did you see in the video?
- How are the children:
- Practising their skills?
- Testing their ideas?
- Building their knowledge?
- What opportunity can you create or do you have at home that
develops counting?