Problem Solving in the Early Years
Penny Earl
Helen Spowage
Katie Delaney
Introductions
 Penny
 Helen
 Katie
Delegates – you are a diverse audience!!
 Preschools, nurseries, day care, infant schools, junior
schools, primary schools.
 North Lincs, North East Lincs
EYFS Statutory Framework
Areas of Learning and Development
 Prime
 Specific
Maths
 1.6 Educational programmes must involve activities and
experiences for children, as follows …
… Mathematics involves providing children with
opportunities to develop and improve their skills in
counting, understanding and using numbers,
calculating simple addition and subtraction
problems; and to describe shapes, spaces, and
measures.
Early Learning Goal 11: numbers
Children count reliably with numbers from one to 20, place them in
order and say which number is one more or one less than a given
number. Using quantities and objects, they add and subtract two
single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer. They
solve problems, including doubling, halving and sharing.
Explanatory note: Within play and other practical situations, the child
counts and orders numbers from 1-20 and finds one more or one
fewer than a given number. Using every day and play objects, the child
applies a range of strategies to add and subtract quantities involving
two single-digit numbers such as counting on to add and counting
back to subtract. In a range of practical and play contexts the child
explores and solves problems involving doubling, halving and sharing,
utilising his or her own methods.
Early Learning Goal 12: shape
space and measures
Children use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity,
position, distance, time and money to compare quantities and objects
and to solve problems. They recognise, create and describe patterns.
They explore characteristics of everyday objects and shapes and use
mathematical language to describe them.
Explanatory note: The child uses everyday language to share their
thinking about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and
money. The child demonstrates that they understand that one quantity
is different to another even if they do not know the correct
comparative term. The child is able to recognise and describe patterns
and notices them in the environment. The child makes patterns using
a range of media and resources. The child notices and describes
everyday objects and shapes using appropriate mathematical language.
Westwoodside Church of England
Primary School
 Challenge Books
 Floor Books
Ofsted
 … has yet to provide further opportunities to fully support
younger children’s awareness of number, shape, space and
measure during every day play opportunities
 … does not fully maximise opportunities to consistently
support younger children’s awareness of number during daily
play and activities
 …opportunities to use mathematical language in a variety of
situations are sometimes missed
Ofsted
 ….does not yet provide opportunities for older children to
develop mark making skills
 Assessments of some children’s progress have yet to include
their achievements within the specific areas of learning. This
information has then yet to be used to plan future
challenging experiences to effectively ensure children are
making progress across all areas of learning.
Provision - environment
How can you use the environment to support mathematical
development?
Numbers and Patterns
 Enabling Environments – potential opportunities for
enhancing day to day provision
 Learning Environment Audit – indoor and outdoor
Development Matters
Provides support for what adults can do,
and what they can provide
Songs and rhymes
 Important for introducing, reinforcing and consolidating not
just numbers and their names, but also mathematical
concepts and early counting skills
 Do we give enough thought to what these types of rhymes
actually achieve?
 Are in danger of thinking that all number rhymes and songs
are beneficial to all children at all stages of their
development?
 Analyse the mathematical concepts held within each rhyme
and, in a truly mathematical approach, find the right
sequence in which to present them.
ICT resources
 Study Ladder – free; teacher and child log ons )
http://www.studyladder.co.uk/)
 TES iBoard – subscription, but some free
resources
 Apps – many and varied
 Interactive resources – Interactive Teaching
Programs (ITPs), Smart Notebook
Supporting Learning and
Development
 Long term thinking
 Opportunities for maths through play
 Planning throughout the day
Westwoodside Church of England
Primary School
 Creativity in Maths
Characteristics of Effective Learning
Playing and exploring – engagement
 Finding out and exploring
 Playing with what they know
 Being willing to ‘have a go’
Active learning – motivation
 Being involved and concentrating
 Keeping trying
 Enjoying achieving what they set out to do
Creating and thinking critically – thinking
 Having their own ideas
 Making links
 Choosing ways to do things
EYFS Statutory Framework
 Planned, purposeful play
 A mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity
 Play is essential for children’s development
 Children learn by leading their own play, and by taking part
in play which is guided by adults.
 Respond to each child’s emerging needs and interests
 Shift towards more adult led activity as development allows
What’s out there…
 Children thinking Mathematically
 Mark Making Matters
 Numbers and Patterns
 Development Matters
 Internet resources – computer, tablet
 Interactive resources
 Training
What’s next for you?