Recite numbers sequences
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Recite numbers from 1 – 10, incorporating actions. Stamp feet, claps hands, tap, chop etc
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Use STOP and GO signs to pause and carry on reciting number sequences
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Play BLAST OFF! Reciting numbers back from 5 or 10 to 0
Sing rhymes involving forward and backward number sequences. Encourage children to show the numbers on their fingers.
Real-life contexts
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Go on a number hunt around the house. Clocks, remote controls, phones, calculators, cook books.
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Setup a shop at home – use really money to buy snacks. Make price labels.
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Have a birthday party for a Teddy. Make birthday cards, draw cakes with candles. How old is Teddy?
Explore number sequences
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Number washing line and pegs
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Numbered car park and matching cars. 'What number is your car?'
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Numbered pebbles/leaves. 'Can you read the number?'
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Magnetic numbers. 'Can you show me number 3?'
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Numbered houses. 'Teddy lives at number 4.'
Writing numbers
Encourage your child to attempt writing numbers using a range of materials.
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Pens, chalks, pencils
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sand, salt, shaving foam paints
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Paintbrushes and buckets of water to paint numbers outdoors.
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Play dough or clay
Counting up to 5/10
Encourage counting where ever possible.
Model one to one correspondence. E.g. touching, moving items one by one, arranging in a group or line.
How many toys? Count the shells. Show me that number with your fingers. Point to the number on the number line.
Count specified number of objects.
How many beans are in the pot?
Animals in a field.
Match quantities to numbers. Put the correct amount of beans in the pots.
Teddy bear picnic. Give Teddy 3 sandwiches.
Play shop. Can I have 2 eggs?
Count sounds and movements
Count how many times you can bounce or catch a ball, count jumps, hops, footsteps, claps.
Play Copy me games. Clap the same number of claps as me.
Listen and jump – listen to a beat and then jump the same number of jumps.