Maths Reception Spring Comparison and Measures

Hamilton's Reception Maths planning targets the key characteristics of effective early learning:

  • Through Exploring and Playing, children independently engage with their peers and their environment.
  • Active Learning group activities promote the motivation needed to be involved and to keep trying.
  • Guided Creating and Thinking Critically supports development of problem-solving & reasoning skills.

Maths Out Loud: whole-class counting, repetitive chants, rhymes, songs and a linked story to enjoy together.

Comparing weights (suggested as 5 days)

Maths Out Loud

Counting

Sit children in a circle. Count in 1s around the circle. Children raise their arms when they say their number - as you do in a ‘Mexican wave’; then count back again.

Repeat, starting elsewhere in the circle.

Chants/Rhymes/Songs

Sing a song which practises counting backwards, e.g. Ten green bottles. Children can join in with this animated version.

Story

Mighty Maddie by Stuart J. Murphy

You Will Need

Exploring and Playing

Four cans of different weights, e.g. anchovies, tuna, 200g beans and 450g soup; bucket/rocker balance; four different coloured pots/ paper cups; sand; cotton wool; pasta; dried beans; saucers; digital camera; ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ cards to write names; pens; items to wrap, e.g. boxes, packages or toys; wrapping paper; scissors; tape.

Active Learning

Watermelon (which will fit in the bucket balance); lettuce and other fruit and vegetables of different weights; bucket/rocker balance; blindfold; small bag of sugar and a larger bag of cotton wool; tins of food of different weights; a bag of cotton wool and a bag of potatoes of roughly same size; a stone and apple of similar sizes; a spring scale (see Active Learning download); a toy car; an orange; flipchart and pens.

Creating and Thinking Critically

Two shopping bags; food items of various weights; bucket/rocker balance; soft toy; boxes, brown paper, tape, scissors; 500g weight; sign with prices; pound coins; a spring scale (see instructions below plan); fruits and vegetables which will fit in the baskets; flipchart; strong tape.