Exploring and Playing
Short Blocks
Maths Reception Autumn Shapes and Patterns (A)
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.
Exploring and playing with symmetry (suggested as 5 days)
Active Learning
Creating and Thinking Critically
Maths Out Loud
Counting
Ask 10 children to sit at the front holding numbers 1 to 10. Child holding 1 stands up, then children shout 1! Child holding 2 stands up, children shout 2! Carry on until all ten are standing.
Shout 10! Child holding 10 sits down, children shout 9! Child holding 9 sits down, children shout 8! Carry on until no children are standing. All shout ZERO!
Repeat across the week to include all the children.
Chants/Rhymes/Songs
Sing along with Five little apples, e.g. this animated version at www.bbc.co.uk. Ask children to hold up 5 fingers, then fold one down each time an apple falls from the tree.
Play an I-spy shapes game.
Story
The hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle.
Use this well-known book to stimulate discussion about the symmetrical pattern on the butterfly’s wings.
You Will Need
Exploring and Playing
Peg boards; pegs; mirrors (optional); gummed shapes; paper; mirrors (optional); small building bricks; doors and windows; salt dough/playdough in different colours; modelling tools; mirrors; branches and ribbons (optional).
Active Learning
Symmetrical butterfly template (enlarged and cut out – see example in resources); three paint colours; brushes; large mirror; flipchart and coloured pens; internet access; skipping rope per pair; camera (optional); real flowers, Symmetrical flower pictures (see resources), paint/collage materials, mirrors; folded cards; glue sticks; coloured pens/ pencils.
Creating and Thinking Critically
A small pizza for each child; mayonnaise; toppings, e.g. slices of pepperoni/ olives/ sweetcorn; camera/ phone suitable for children to take photographs; equipment to print photos; paper; paints and brushes; a range of paper shapes – some symmetrical, some not; 2 large sheets of paper.
Exploring repetitive patterns (suggested as 5 days)
Exploring and Playing
Active Learning
Creating and Thinking Critically
Maths Out Loud
Counting
Show the 1-100 grid. We’re going to count all the way to 100 today! Point to each number as you do so, emphasise the numbers ending in 0 and 5, so that the children pick up on the pattern.
Do you notice any patterns in the 1-100 grid? e.g. the columns of numbers ending in the same digits.
This is an activity which needs regular repetition so that more and more children will join in saying the higher numbers.
Chants/Rhymes/Songs
Join in with the patterns with the song Banana, banana, meatball by Blazer Noodle on www.YouTube.com.
There was an old lady who swallowed a fly has a super rhythm and repetitive nature.
Story
Pattern fish by Trudy Harris.
You Will Need
Exploring and Playing
Prepared cut-out snakes; paint; brushes; water; table covering; or playground chalks and access to the outside; Lego or Duplo bricks and baseboards; multilink cubes; linking elephants or other pattern-making equipment, e.g. peg boards, Numicon; shapes, or natural materials such as leaves; plain wallpaper/wall lining paper; large crayons or paint and sponges for printing; art shirts.
Active Learning
Interconnecting cubes in different colours; 2 drums, 2 wood blocks, 2 triangles and beaters; flat shapes: triangles, squares and rectangles (optional).
Creating and Thinking Critically
Paint and shaped sponges or gummed shapes; strips of card to make headbands; different coloured and shaped beads; strings/laces; fruit, e.g. bananas, strawberries, apples, pineapple, grapes; skewers; kitchen roll; interconnecting cubes in different colours.