Language of maths

Maths Training Early Level

PRE-TASK 1Prior to undertaking ‘Language of Maths’ training all staff should access/revisit the ‘Words Up’ Training.

Click on the image to access the Highland Literacy Blog.

These key messages support language development across the curriculum.

Before we begin...Discuss any positive impacts that previous maths training sessions have had on your practice. If this is your first early maths training session, discuss something that you have read/learned about early maths that interested you.

● What have you noticed in your setting /classroom? ● Share something about early maths you are really pleased about.● What is going well?● What do you still need help with?

Realising the Ambition:being me Read & discuss the following:

‘Playful numeracy and mathematical development’‘Children are curious about the environments surrounding them, even before they are born. They want to know how things work and can use problem solving skills from an early age. Children constantly explore cause and effect through their play.

Numeracy is not just about being able to count. It is about developing number sense which encourages creativity of thought and it allows children to interact with the world around them.’

Realising the Ambition (p74), Education Scotland

https://education.gov.scot/media/3bjpr3wa/realisingtheambition.pdf

Maths is everywhere! ● These slides focus on ‘Language of Maths’’ and links should be made with

the learning environments both outdoors and indoors.● The slides are part of a wider toolkit for staff working in Early Level

Settings and Primary 1. Each set of slides has been created to promote discussion and reflection around maths at Early level.

● Staff should work through the slides - ensuring there is time for discussion and reflection throughout.

● REFER to REALISING THE AMBITION: Being Me (February 2020) https://education.gov.scot/media/3bjpr3wa/realisingtheambition.pdf

Aims for this session ● Raise awareness of maths language used within our daily interactions

● Identify daily opportunities where we can develop maths language and

enhance understanding

● Improve confidence to use WORDS UP key messages for maths

● Identify an aspect of our practice we would like to develop

● Agree next steps for our setting/class

What Maths have you used today?You will need paper and pens for this activity.

● Work with a partner / small group.

● Discuss and list any maths language you have used today - remember to think about home/indoors/outdoors/work. (2 minutes)

● Share your list with another group - can you add to their list?.

● Discuss

Examples of Maths language Oops, I put too much milk in my cup!

Look, the keys were under my scarf.

Sorry, I’m running ten minutes late.

I parked my car beside the red car.

Are there enough slices of bread?

Please can I have four morning rolls?

What Maths have the children used today?You will need paper and pens for this activity.

● Work with a partner / small group.

● Discuss and list any maths language you have heard the children use in the setting/classroom today/this week.

● Share your list with another group - can you add to their list?.

● Discuss. Was this in play? What was the context? Were they talking to an adult? etc..

Words up key messagesRefer to your ‘Words Up’ posters for more detailed information, - copies are available on the Highland Literacy Blog.

Play & Talk Together Face to Face

Copy & Add Words Be Careful with Questions

Pause & Wait Quiet time to Talk

Words Up key messages

You will need a copy of ‘WORDS UP’ Key messages.

● Work with a partner / small group. Read through the ‘Words Up’ key messages.

● Discuss and reflect how you use these key messages to support maths language. Think about different areas in the setting / room / play / outdoors / routines etc.

Where have you used maths today?

Consider the above areas/activities in your setting/classroom.

Work with a partner - write these areas/activities on to a large piece of paper. Discuss & list the opportunities we have to promote mathematical language in these areas.

NB:the next slide contains possible suggestions/ideas - PLEASE DISCUSS YOUR OWN IDEAS FIRST.

Sand & Water

Playdough Outdoors Block Play

Tidying Up

Role Play

Books & Rhymes

Routines e.g.snack

Our Setting - examples of language Sand & Water

Playdough Role Play Books / Rhymes

Heavy Light, Empty FullHow much will it hold?Differences between wet and dryFloat/sinkTaller ShorterMore Less Quick(ly) Slow(ly)Inside Up Down

Short(er) Long(er)Thin Thick More LessColours Flat shapes3-d shapesSharing - halfBig Small

Counting things outSetting tableEmerging ‘maths’ writing - signs/labelsmeasuringSorting clothes/socksShapesColoursMoney words

Rhythm PatternsCountingPositional LanguageSequencing Number rhymes - order, sequence, finger patterns

Our Setting - examples of language Outdoors Block Play Tidying up Routines

Near Far Behind In frontUnder On top Fast SlowFloat SinkDeep ShallowSeasons Measure growth/rainHot / coldCountingHeavy LightLong(er) Short(er)

Stack BuildBalance RollMatch SortCylinder ConeBlock CubeTaller/shorterHigh LowHow many more? Estimate PatternsOn top, beside,below, behind Tipping point

Inside BesideUnderOn BelowTimeSequence: First, Next, LastCount down/backSongMatch e.g. shoes

Setting tableBefore AfterFirst Next ThenLining up: beside /behind/in frontEqual sharing - cutting foodSnack cups - empty/fullHot / ColdTimetable

Introducing Language.

Maths Words we can introduce through planned play opportunities

Words about shapes

rectangle, oval, triangle, squarecube, sphere, cylinder, cone

straight, curved, flatedge, corner, surface

Words about position

first, second, third next to,

in front of, behind, under, above,

last

Words that describe spaces/objects

deep, shallow,narrow, thin, wide, thick,

tall, short

Non-specific amount words & comparison words

some, all, none,more, less, fewer, equal

Words for amounts

one, two three, ten etc.Pair

Names of measurable attributes

length, width, depth (long, wide, deep)

weight, height

Jennifer S McCray, Jie-Qi Chen, Janet Eisenband Sorkin (2019).Growing Mathematical Minds

TASK 2 Consider the different areas in your setting.

Where could you add maths vocabulary so that the adults in your setting can access them while they ‘play and talk’ with the children?

Please aim to complete this task shortly after completing this training.

Send us photographs/images so we can add ‘real’ examples to our slides.

Using gesture .

Watch the video - 4 mins.This child is carrying out some conservation tasks. The quantities stay the same but are presented differently.

How can you support children in your setting by using gesture alongside language.

Observe the children in your setting as they play - do they use gesture when they talk about measure?

How do you make it OBVIOUS you are talking about maths?

Stories and rhymesStories and rhymes are a fantastic way to engage our children in learning new concepts and patterns in language.

Do the children in your setting have a favourite story/rhyme ?

Discuss ‘maths language’ opportunities that can be explored,

shared and developed through stories and rhymes. Image: Obsdale Primary

Stories and rhymesDiscuss ‘maths’ opportunities that can be developed with this favourite rhyme ‘5 Little Speckled Frogs’. Share your ideas.

● Finger patterns - spatial awareness● Counting● 1 more/ 1 less● On, into● Backward number sequence● Rhyming language ● Pattern of language/rhyme

Stories & maths LanguageGoldilocks

big / middle / smallone / two / three

along / throughafter

Kipper’s Toybox

more / lessmissingcountcheck

empty / fullin / out

What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?

o’clocktime

morning / afternoon / evening

Stories and maths languageThe Tiger Who Came to Tea

first next

problemsolve

beginning / end

The bad Tempered Ladybird

numbers to 12bigger / smaller

sizeday / night

shape

10 in the Bed

besidebehindon top

togetherdown / under / over

More Links for stories Stories and rhymes are an excellent way to engage learners to be curious and develop vocabulary. Look at the following links for ideas and inspiration: ● Scottish Book Trust ● Dreme● Erikson

Check the Highland Numeracy blog for more ideas:https://highlandnumeracyblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/04/making-sense-of-maths-through-stories/

Stories & Role PlayStories are a fantastic way to engage our children in learning new concepts and language.

Watch this video (6 minutes) from Erikson Institute Early Collaborative.

As you watch this video- consider how the role play adds to the learning experience.

Discuss the benefit of using role play to bring stories to life.

Task 3Work with a partner/small group.

● Choose a story you are going to use in your setting / class next week.

● Discuss any mathematical ideas/vocabulary that could be explored through the

story.

● How could you use the story to extend pupil understanding of a particular concept?

● What follow up activities could you have for pupils to engage with?

Observing PlayLook at the ways in which the P1 children have chosen to use the same resource. What opportunities do you see to develop mathematical language? Can you use ‘Words Up’ key messages to help you?

Using ‘Words Up’to develop maths language

C is the first sound in cat.

This apple is really heavy….

Look… the blue teddy is behind the tree.

Oooh… your tower is very tall. I wonder if we can add any more?

That stick is really long. Is it the longest stick in the garden?

Ideas to promote maths language● Plan for mathematical vocabulary● Enjoy stories and rhymes● Display vocabulary to support the adults● Share vocabulary with families ● Words Up - revisit

Example from a setting: The Enormous Turnip story was shared and the children talked about size words. After a few days of enjoying the story the staff sent home speech bubbles and asked families for ‘size’ words. This impacted on the use of descriptive language in play. For further ideas read: https://www.teachearlyyears.com/images/uploads/article/talking-about-maths.pdf

TASKS 1, 2 & 3 Remember to complete these tasks before starting a new block of training.

1. Access the online training for Words Up - revisit the key messages. 2. Create labels/signs with maths vocabulary, as a visual prompt, for the

adults in the setting. Remember these labels do not need to be large displays and don’t need to include all the words. Please send us some photographs so we can add them to the slides for future training.

3. Choose a story and plan how to extend the maths learning.

Thank you This training has been produced and put together using a wide variety of resources and information but also draws on work by:

● James McTaggart - Early Years Educational Psychologist ● Steph Bennett - Educational Psychologist● Jen Pickering - Occupational Therapist● Sharon Smith - Speech and Language Therapist● Rebecca Castelo - Speech and Language Therapist● Jennie Drummond - Early Years Education Support Officer● Ruth MacLean - Early Years Education Support Officer● Sara-Jane MacAskill - Depute Head, Knockbreck Primary School, Tain● The Numeracy Development Team: Seonaid Cooke, Kathryn Thomas, Julie Brewer, Sarah Leakey, Kirsten

Mackay