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Maths

Go to the wall for Reception

By Ruth Merttens - 1 Jul 2018

You are aiming to teach all Reception children age-related expectations by the end of the year. But what are the basic skills that you can't let them leave your class without?

Hamilton's 'Go to the Wall' skills are the heart of what enables children to become successful in maths. They are the building blocks of maths without which children will be blocked from making further progress. All children need to work towards age-related expectations throughout the year. But you need to be sure that children are confident in these 'Go to the Wall' mathematical skills before year-end. EVERY child should possess ALL these ground-level skills as they leave Reception.

  • Count forwards to 100 in unison with other children.
  • Count backwards from at least 20.
  • Know the next number for any number up to 12, e.g. eight, ____.
  • Match one-to-one in counting e.g. one counter, two counters...
  • Subitise numbers up to and including 6: do children recognise arrays, e.g. 6 dots on a dice, without counting?
  • Match numbers to fingers, e.g. hold up 7 fingers (without counting each finger).
  • Begin to compare numbers, e.g. knowing that 6 is bigger than 4.
  • Know the story of 6 (3 + 3, 2 + 4, 1 + 5, 6 + 0), and the stories of 5 and of 4 and of 3...
  • Recognise some 2-digit numbers related to their own experiences, e.g. Daddy is 34, I live at number 56, etc.
  • Recognise the difference between ‘flat’ and ‘solid’ shapes and describe shapes by mentioning a property, e.g. this one rolls, this one has corners...
  • Spot and continue patterns.
  • Compare the size of things using mathematical language, e.g. Salim is taller than me.

We strongly recommend that you ensure that your children fully master these skills by tracking them through the year.

Download a monitoring template for Reception