The aim of a workshop recently led by myself and Andy Lovegrove, Ealing Early Years lead practitioner, was to provide practitioners with strategies for boosting numeracy in their settings and to get them thinking more deeply about how numeracy develops.
The one-day session, 'Improving outcomes for children in problem solving, reasoning and numeracy', focused on early mark making in mathematics. Much of this is based on the findings of the 2008 Williams Review identifying the most effective pedagogy in early mathematics teaching.
The Review highlights how, traditionally, adults have paid less attention to supporting children in making mathematical marks, while providing opportunities through play for them to develop as emergent writers. It stresses that mathematical mark making has an important role in children's early acquisition and skills, as it develops their abilities to extend and organise their own ways of thinking.
A follow-up found that the workshop has been effective in helping participants recognise mark making as a way for children to experiment with mathematical concepts and develop sustained shared thinking.
Aspiring EYP Caroline Mould was at the workshop. She says, 'Since then I have encouraged the children to do more mathematical mark making, and I can see how they are using their own marks as a tally and an aid to calculation.'
Mathematical mark making helps children to understand the value of recording their thinking to hold more information. It assists them in seeing objects in symbolic form, recognising patterns, manipulating relative amounts and talking about the process of calculation.
The workshop also placed a strong emphasis on creating opportunities for mathematical thinking at all times of the day, and incorporating it in routines.
This is wholly in tune with the EYFS, which recommends that mathematical terms be used during play and daily routines. Participants have also built up their use of song, rhythm and rhyme to support children as mathematicians.
Future sessions will take place on 25 February, 11 March and 29 April, 2010. For details see www.childrenscentres.org.uk/training
For the DCSF 2008 Independent Review of Mathematics go to www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications
