Exploring and Playing
Maths Reception Summer Comparing and Measuring
Hamilton's Reception Maths planning targets the key characteristics of effective early learning:
- Through Exploring and Playing, children independently engage with their peers and their environment.
- Active Learning group activities promote the motivation needed to be involved and to keep trying.
- Guided Creating and Thinking Critically supports development of problem-solving & reasoning skills.
Maths Out Loud: whole-class counting, repetitive chants, rhymes, songs and a linked story to enjoy together.
Measuring outside (suggested as 5 days)
Active Learning
Creating and Thinking Critically
Maths Out Loud
Counting
- Walk across or a short way around the playground, with the children following you in a line.
- Say that we will do this again, but this time we will count as we go.
- Walk slowly counting in unison as you go. You can count your steps but do not worry if the children are not exactly in sync!
- When you get back to where you started, discuss how many steps you counted – what a lot!
- Repeat if possible. Is it the same number of steps this time?
Song
Ten Green Bottles
e.g. at this version from the BBC
TEN green bottles hanging on the wall, TEN green bottles hanging on the wall,
And if one green bottle should accidentally fall, there‛ll be...
NINE green bottles hanging on the wall...
EIGHT … SEVEN...SIX...FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO...
ONE green bottle hanging on the wall...
NO green bottles hanging on the wall!
Book
Goldilocks and The Three Bears by Susanna Davidson
Discuss the bowls and their sizes and how much porridge they each hold.
Model using play bowls and a tea-set.
You Will Need
Exploring and Playing
Water tray; food dye; plastic containers (some with measurements); scoops or spoons; funnels; number cards; 'Measuring words' (see resources); toy cars; wooden blocks or crates; wooden planks of wood or plastic tubes; chalk; metre rulers; play tea set; water bowl; dried beans/ rice; small bowls.
Active Learning
Different sizes and shapes of plastic containers; water – coloured or natural; cups; labels; funnels; chalk; cars; metre ruler.
Creating and Thinking Critically
Two sets of similar items but different sizes e.g. jugs, teapots; water; cup; plastic bottles - different sizes; cups; tuff spot; funnel; paper/ thin card; dry lentils; Sellotape/ masking tape; bikes and other things to ride on; Finish and Start lines.
Telling the time (suggested as 5 days)
Exploring and Playing
Active Learning
Creating and Thinking Critically
Maths Out Loud
Counting
NB - If the ‘normal game’ is taught at the beginning of the week, children can play as a group during independent learning time.
- Now play a variation of What’s the Time Mr Wolf as a class. In this version let each child choose one of, say, five animals: chicken, rabbit, duckling, lamb, squirrel. How many rabbits/chickens/squirrels/ lambs or ducklings has he got to eat?
- Agree which animal each child is.
- The wolf says an animal and an o’clock time, e.g. rabbits and five o’clock. The rabbits hop that number of times towards the wolf.
- The wolf gives different animals different times.
- When ‘dinnertime’ is shouted, they run back to the start, hoping not to get caught!
Song/ Rhyme
Hickory dickory dock
See the Resource download for song words.
Books
Tiddler by Julia Donaldson
Look at the clocks in the story. What time do they show? What time should he have arrived at school? What time does he swim into the school?!
What’s the Time Mr Wolf? by Debi Gliori
Follow Mr Wolf through his day with times.
You Will Need
Exploring and Playing
Chalk; large teaching clock; mini analogue clocks or ‘O’clock times’ (see resources); sand/straw; magnifying glasses; ‘Everyday activities’ (see resources); plastic swotters; home corner role-play items.
Active Learning
Mini analogue clocks; large teaching clock; number line; timers - sand and digital; 'Make a clock' (see resources); split pins; glue; scissors; 'Clock hunt' (see resources), tick list with written times (see resources); clipboards.
Creating and Thinking Critically
Post-it notes™ or paper with blue tac™; mini analogue clocks; whiteboard or flipchart; 'Time cards' (see resources); 'Sequence a school day' cards (see resources); A3 paper cut into long strips.