Perceptions about shape and space begin to develop from a very early age. Many toys designed for young children support the development of such concepts, from the shape posting boxes frequently bought for toddlers, to trolleys of bricks and the endless variety of objects that roll and bounce. By engaging in such experiences (primarily with three-dimensional shapes), children can develop their mathematical understandings through their play.
Project guide.
A playful outlook towards mathematics needs to be maintained once children enter the Foundation Stage if they are to have a positive attitude towards mathematics and if they are to be encouraged to think like mathematicians.
This project emphasises an approach that begins with a child's experience of three-dimensional shape. As Linda Pound explains in Supporting Mathematical Development in the Early Years, 'In the early years of schooling an emphasis is frequently placed on learning the names of two-dimensional shapes, but this may not be the easiest starting point for young children. The physical form of three-dimensional shapes allows children to gain a better understanding of what two-dimensional shapes are' (see Further Reading).
Others echo this view. Clemson and Clemson write that 'discussion should begin with three-dimensional shapes because the "real world" is three dimensional' (p71). They also identify five three-dimensional shapes as being particularly important, as they are all common in built and manufactured environment. These are cuboid, cube, cylinder, pyramid and prism.
Before embarking on any theme around shape, practitioners should feel confident with their own knowledge of these shapes and ensure that they are available in the setting, in the form of construction equipment or found materials.
Through practical activities using these resources, children should be encouraged to explore the properties of these shapes, rather than merely learn their names. And in their discussions, adult and child should share the thinking and the learning, rather than have the child trying to guess answers to closed adult questions.
The adult role in this project should be to encourage talk and use of language, because 'the main tool for the teacher to employ in the mastery of maths concepts is language, not pencil and paper exercise' (Sue Atkinson, Mathematics with Reason).
Continuous provision.
This project assumes that the following provision will be available to the children, both indoors and out, and that it could be readily enhanced to support a theme such as shape: * role play.
* small world play.
* construction play.
* water play.
* sand play.
* mark-making area.
* creative workshop.
* malleable materials.
Adult-led activities The builder's yard Create a role-play building site, ideally outdoors.
Key learning intentions Use language such as 'greater', 'smaller', 'heavier' or 'lighter' to compare quantities.
Talk about, recognise and recreate.
simple patterns.
Use language such as 'circle' or 'bigger' to describe the shape and size of solids and flat shapes.
Use developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems Use everyday words to describe.
position.
Preparation.
Bring together a collection of both found and commercially produced materials that will help you create a building site with the children. This might include real bricks, milk crates, a large quantity of sand, cable reels, large cardboard tubes, lengths of piping and guttering, a wheelbarrow or two, offcuts of wood that have been sanded to remove any rough edges, a range of buckets and spades.
Add the following equipment: drawing boards, clipboards with pencils attached, clocks, magazines featuring a variety of buildings, calculators, diary, mugs and a kettle.
If possible, make space for a noticeboard at the building site so that children can make notes and plans.
Developments.
* Ask the children if they have had any experience of building work at their home. Some may have had an extension built; others may have seen their families engaged in smaller building projects, such as building a barbecue. Encourage them to share their experiences, and to use this knowledge in their play. Some may like to bring in photographs to share.
* Work with the children on the building site, discussing with them their building successes, and the problems that they have overcome. Encourage them to evaluate the building materials that they have used. Which shapes are most useful for building? What difficulties have they encountered? Introduce the language of three-dimensional shape where appropriate.
* Discuss ways of transporting the materials with the children. If you don't have a wheelbarrow, this discussion will take on a great deal of significance. How might the children move the sand and bricks from one part of the building site to another? Can they devise a method that will make the task easy?
* Why not use the role-play area to develop some musical activities? You could sing 'This is the way we build the house' to the tune of 'Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush'. Once you have sung a verse or two then the children will undoubtedly carry on making up their own verses. Combine photographs of the children doing the actions to accompany the verses with words to create a song book for use indoors and out. 'Peter Hammers with One Hammer' could be adapted in the same way, using the names of children in your setting.
* As a team, ensure that you allow yourselves time to observe the children in the building site, to reflect on their learning and the implications that this might have for future provision. Make sure the children always have enough resources to make their play more effective.
Play possibilities.
* Exploring purposes for mark-making and writing.
* Speaking and listening in a mixture of roles and for various purposes * Making up their own songs and stories.
Child-initiated learning.
Small-world play.
Additional resources.
and adult support.
Create an open-ended small-world scenario. Provide some pieces of carpet, set of attractive cardboard boxes that fit one inside the other, and some play people. Allow the children to build their own world for the people, using the boxes as house, beds, cars and so on..
Make sure the children know that they can add to the resources provided by looking for found items to support and enhance their play. This might include cotton reels, film pots, plastic containers and other small boxes.
As the children's play develops, consider adding some pets for the toy family to care for, creating new possibilities for construction.
Play possibilities.
Making up their own stories Exploring resources Solving practical problems Collaborating with others Taking on a variety of roles in imaginative play.
Possible learning outcomes.
Uses everyday words to describe position.
Uses developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems.
Uses language such as 'circle' or bigger' to describe the shape and size solids and flat shapes.
Builds and constructs with a wide range of objects, selecting appropriate.
resources.
Block play.
Additional resources.
and adult support.
Add a wide selection of plastic.
minibeasts to the block play area. Make sure that you include ones that live both under and above ground, and those that.
like a variety of habitats.
Let the children build the minibeast habitat using the blocks. Observe the way in which the children use the blocks create tunnels, holes and places for the minibeasts to hide.
Add a selection of natural objects such pine cones, shells and ornamental seed heads to enhance the play further and to promote discussion about textures and patterns.
Look for inventive combinations and creative ways of using the materials. Help the children to consider the possibilities, and if necessary offer additional challenges. Contemplate the questions that you might ask the children. For example, is it possible for them to make a circular tunnel using only straight-sided blocks?.
* Add pictures of natural minibeasts' habitats and constructions, such as honeycombs and wasps' nests, to increase the possibilities for discussion with the children.
Play possibilities * Problem solving * Collaborative discussion * Story making Possible learning outcomes Uses language such as 'circle' or 'bigger' to describe the shape and size of solids and flat shapes Uses developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems Uses everyday words to describe position Builds and constructs with a wide range of objects, selecting appropriate resources Water play n Add a variety of frozen threedimensional shapes to the water tray (with or without water - adding water means that some of your shapes may float, but this will depend on the depth of water in the tray and the size of the ice blocks). Freeze water in containers such as triangular sandwich packets, semi-spherical bowls, plastic food containers of various sizes (to give a range of cuboid shapes) and ice cubes.
Add glitter or food colouring, or both, to the water before freezing, for added interest.
* Let the children explore the shapes and help them to describe what they see. Support them in looking for similarities and differences. What do the shapes remind them of? Have they seen any shapes like these elsewhere in the setting or at home? Which shapes take longest to melt?
* Encourage the children to use magnifying glasses to look at the shapes as they change.
* Take photographs regularly throughout the activity to keep a record of the changes that take place.
Play possibilities.
* Exploring textures.
* Predicting outcomes.
* Experiencing a variety of visual and tactile sensations.
Possible learning outcomes.
Uses talk to clarify ideas, thinking, feelings and events.
Asks questions about how things.
happen and why.
Responds to what they see, think hear and feel in a variety of ways.
Uses language such as 'greater', 'smaller', 'heavier' or 'lighter' to compare quantities.
Uses language such as 'circle' or 'bigger' to describe the shape and size of solids and flat shapes.
Adult-led activities.
Small-group activities.
Alongside the enhancement of continuous provision, you may also plan to include children in certain focused activities to look at shapes more closely.
All shapes.
Look for shapes in the outdoor area.
Key learning intentions.
Everyday uses of ICT.
Uses language such as 'circle' or 'bigger' to describe the shape and size of solids and flat shapes.
Talks about, recognises and recreates simple patterns.
Uses everyday language to describe position.
Activity content.
* Working with a small group, take the children into the outdoor area to look for as many shapes as they can find. Use this as an opportunity to identify the twodimensional shapes that exist as part of three-dimensional shapes in the real world. Examples might include the rectangles in the brickwork, the circles found in tyres, and the triangles found on the end of roofs and other buildings.
* Take photographs of the shapes that interest the children the most. Laminate and display them outdoors if you have a suitable surface that you can attach them to.
* You might also use some of the photographs to make a book of 'Shapes that we have seen outdoors'.
Get in shape.
Play a guessing game.
Adult:child ratio 1:6.
Activity content.
* Gather together a collection of threedimensional.
shapes. (You will need two of everything that you collect.) The children will be playing as two teams of three.
* Place a barrier between the two teams. This need only be a propped-up book or similar.
* Give each team an identical collection of shapes.
* One team chooses a shape to describe to the opposing team, who needs to establish which shape is being talked about.
* When they think they have guessed correctly, remove the barrier. Were they right?
Further reading.
* Supporting Mathematical Development in the Early Years by Linda Pound, OUP 1999.
* Mathematics in The Early Years by David Clemson and Wendy Clemson, Routledge Falmer, 1994.
* Mathematics With Reason by Sue Atkinson (ed) Heinemann, 1992.
Resources.
* Posters of buildings, including skyscrapers and a wide variety of domestic buildings, to enhance block play is available at www.art.com * A selection of natural wooden three-dimensional shapes are available from Phillip and Tacey (tel: 01264 332171), priced 24.99. Coloured blocks are also available at 19.95.
