| SKILL | WHAT TO DO Identifying and supporting need | ASKING FOR HELP Starting Assess, Plan, Do, Review | WHEN MORE HELP IS NEEDED Targeted support |
| Mathematics | Classroom/Early Years room: Implement evidence-based recommendations around Improving Mathematics in the Early Years. Early Years practitioners to receive training in mathematics approaches to ensure consistency. They should also be aware of what to expect at each age and stage and understand how children’s maths skills typically develop, and how to assess this development. Engage with parents/carers and share activities with them, so that children can use the same approaches out of setting. Regular tracking and assessment and observation of children’s early maths skills. Use of concrete resources (e.g. cubes, counters, small toys). Games and activities for developing early maths skills: Hold babies’ hands and help them to clap as you sing songs. Sing songs or rhymes with numbers and actions. Give opportunities to explore categories (e.g. different types of spoons, different shapes). Count with children as you do things (e.g. put on their coats or fasten the buttons on their coats). Allow opportunities to make choices between different objects, modelling the language relating to different categories (e.g. colour, size, shape). Activities where children can order or categorise by size, shape, number etc. Number: Support understanding and use of numerical concepts and language: Modelling mathematical language (big, bigger, small, smaller, more, less, how many, enough etc.) Opportunities for sand or water play e.g. filling containers and transferring water or sand to different containers, which encourage thinking about quantity or amount. Use language such as ‘full’ and ‘empty’ alongside water or sand play. Opportunities for counting: Model touching or moving objects in order to count them. Model arranging objects (e.g. into a line) to make counting easier. Chanting with visuals to match words to numbers. Building towers and counting blocks as you go. Purposeful counting opportunities (e.g. number of children allowed in an area at once; games that allow counting such as Hide and Seek). Regularly singing counting songs (e.g. 3 cheeky monkeys, 3 little men in a flying saucer, 10 green bottles). Encourage recognition of graphical representation of numbers (matching number cards). Display number lines in the environment. Encourage subitising (recognising small numbers of objects without counting). Offer subitising games and activities using visual picture cards or a small numbers of objects. Encourage use of numeracy in roleplay activities e.g. coins at the supermarket, tickets for a bus. Shape, space and measure: Give babies and young children opportunities to play and find out what their hands and feet can do. Encourage this by providing toys of interest, cause and effect toys etc. Opportunities to play with puzzles where pieces go into matching spaces. Point out and label different shapes in the environment, complete shape hunts where children have to find and sort shapes. Provide different sizes and shapes of containers (e.g. role play, sand and water play) so that children can experiment with quantities and measures and find where things belong. Play games that involve children positioning themselves or objects (e.g. inside, behind, on top etc.). Adults use and model this vocabulary as they play. Copy box games (one box contains a set of objects, child to collect the same objects). Activities and games involving looking for or recognising patterns; provide collections of interesting things for children to sort and label in their play. Identifying times of day – morning, afternoon etc. Use of resources from Go To Grow Tameside | Opportunities for small group work and play activities around early Maths skills. A balance of guided interaction with direct teaching and child-led activities (depending on the age and capabilities of the child). Alongside the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) tracker, identify and complete appropriateassessmentsto establish a greater understanding of the child’s needs. For example: Observation. Discussion with parents/carers. Play-based assessment (see ‘Thinking Skills’). Fine-grained assessment tools (e.g. Early Years Developmental Journal). Refer to the Celebratory Approach to SEND Assessment in the Early Years document for further guidance. Increased and ongoing use of play-based assessment for children who may require more fine-grained assessment of skills or who may not fit easily into Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) tracker (e.g. those with language difficulties). Consider which forms of adult mediation are most appropriate or useful for some children: Helping the child feel at ease (building rapport, using familiar and enjoyable activities). Focusing the child on the task (e.g. using visual and verbal prompts, moving things into their line of sight). Using ‘hand over hand’ guidance. Modelling how to do the activity first. Mediating meaning by focusing the child on relevant features of the task (e.g. feeling objects, demonstrating use, pointing to buttons or switches). Focusing the child on the adult’s role and involvement (turn-taking, modelling, demonstrate trying and failing and asking for the child’s help). Assisting generalisation of the skill (e.g. show the child how to use a toy in a different way, or different toys in the same way). Helping the child to plan (e.g. making tasks visually clearer by reducing the number of items in front of the child, providing non-verbal demonstration, talking through what to do next). Helping the child to break down tasks through modelling and demonstration (do one-step at a time and encourage child to copy); teach the sequences of pretend play. Helping the child to feel successful (using verbal and non-verbal praise, encouragement and tangible rewards). Helping the child feel that they’ve made progress (providing task-specific praise; stating what they can do at the end that they couldn’t at the start). | See ‘Thinking Skills’ section. Further adaptation of the adult role in play and learning and the form(s) of mediation needed – children in this group may need more frequent and higher levelsofmediation (e.g. ‘hand over hand’ guidance). Increased sensory play for children with more complex needs. Adaptation of play resources and environments to meet complex needs, e.g.: Physical needs Visual impairment Hearing impairment Support from specialist services may be required (see Sensory and/or Physical needs section). Use individualised Play Plans and or Engagement Profile and Scale to address specific skills identified through assessment. Use of appropriate mediation strategies e.g.: Helping the child feel at ease (building rapport, using familiar and enjoyable activities). Focusing the child on the task (e.g. using visual and verbal prompts, moving things into their line of sight). Using ‘hand over hand’ guidance. Modelling how to do the activity first. Mediating meaning by focusing the child on relevant features of the task (e.g. feeling objects, demonstrating use, pointing to buttons or switches). Focusing the child on the adult’s role and involvement (turn-taking, modelling, demonstrate trying and failing and asking for the child’s help). Assisting generalisation of the skill (e.g. show the child how to use a toy in a different way, or different toys in the same way). Helping the child to plan (e.g. making tasks visually clearer by reducing the number of items in front of the child, providing non-verbal demonstration, talking through what to do next). Helping the child to break down tasks through modelling and demonstration (do one-step at a time and encourage child to copy); teach the sequences of pretend play. Helping the child to feel successful (using verbal and non-verbal praise, encouragement and tangible rewards). Helping the child feel that they’ve made progress (providing task-specific praise; stating what they can do at the end that they couldn’t at the start). |