Mainly number

The activities in this section develop the following mathematical skills: Age range What a child is learning Birth–11 months Notices changes in number of objects/images or sounds in group of up to 3. 8–20 months Has some understanding that things exist, even when out of sight. 16–26 months

Knows that things exist, even when out of sight.

Says some counting words randomly.

22–36 months

Selects a small number of objects from a group when asked, for example, ‘please give me one’, ‘please give me two’.

Creates and experiments with symbols and marks representing ideas of number.

Begins to make Comparisons between quantities.

Uses some language of quantities, such as ‘more’ and ‘a lot’.

Knows that a group of things changes quantity when something is added or taken away.

30–50 months

Beginning to represent numbers using fingers, marks on paper or pictures.

Compares two groups of objects, saying when they have the same number.

Shows an interest in number problems.

Separates a group of three or four objects in different ways, beginning to recognise that the total is still the same.

40–60+ months

Counts out up to six objects from a larger group.

Uses the language of ‘more’ and ‘fewer’ to compare two sets of objects.

Finds the total number of items in two groups by counting all of them.

Says the number that is one more than a given number.

Finds one more or one less from a group of up to five objects, then ten objects.

In practical activities and discussion, beginning to use the vocabulary involved in adding and subtracting.

Records, using marks that they can interpret and explain.

Begins to identify own mathematical problems based on own interests and fascinations.

117Remember, children develop at their own rates, and in their own ways. These statements and their order should not be taken as necessary steps or checklists for individual children.