Implementation

We have a discrete daily maths lesson to teach a carefully planned sequence of lessons which build on knowledge of numbers and patterns in a progressive way. Everyday children are given time to explore and consolidate the new learning in smaller groups in a practical way. During these smaller group activities we formatively assess children and identify any children who may need further support. These children then continue the learning with an adult to identify any misconceptions, barriers to learning or gaps in knowledge. We often communicate what we have noticed with parents so they can also support their child at home. Our daily maths session also includes a 'digging deeper' section where we encourage the children to think a little deeper about the concept we are learning and to use their reasoning skills to explain their thinking.

We also use a systematic ‘number sense’ program to help children 'see' number facts, and we use concrete and pictorial ways of representing numbers to help children deepen their understanding of numbers and their composition. This program also provides lots of opportunities for children to communicate their mathematical thinking and reasoning and put the new vocabulary they have learnt into practice.

During continuous provision children bump into maths in all areas. For example a calendar in the home corner or counting the number of goes on the swing in the meadow. The adults who work with children understand how enumerate the environment and weave mathematical thinking into their interactions with children and even during tidy up time our children are able to demonstrate their conditional knowledge in maths by counting the correct number of scissors back or using their spatial reasoning to put the wooden blocks back in place. 

To help children with their declarative maths knowledge, we revisit number facts that have been learnt regularly and carefully monitor each child's fluency with recalling number facts and intervene when necessary to secure their knowledge.