The children learn about maths all round them by using loose parts and natural resources both inside and outside the classroom.
We never really know how and when the children will engage and how the play and the learning will be extended! Once it happens and the children are engaged and motivated, staff will scaffold their learning and be there, as enablers to allow the children to build on their experiences, investigate new theories, problem solve and be ready to offer support when they need it.
Today, a few of the children used some simple construction resources, firstly to join together, they had to work hard to join and connect the pieces and then that's when the real learning took off!
They used a range of mathematical language, longer, shorter, skinnier, more, less, same, different to describe what they were making. The excitement and enthusiasm grew when they decided to use it as a skipping rope, children then going over it, under it and around it,(We are going on a bear Hunt, said 1 girl) having to be aware of their space ,having to plan, decide and negotiate where to go! They then measured themselves against the length and discussed their sizes and estimating how many of them it would take to equal the length. The mathematical learning was extensive and all child led.
