Maths is all around!

Hope everyone is settling into the swing of things now that the academic year has begun. 

The end of September marks Maths Week Scotland where the country celebrates all things maths! This year, it will take place from the 26th of September until the 2nd of October and although maths is a part of everyday life for us all, this offers an opportunity to really reflect on the learning opportunities we have in relation to numbers and wider maths too. 

Maths can often bring back rather unpleasant memories for many of us, but it is our job to make maths relevant and fun for the children in our care. Think about a typical day in your life and consider how much we rely on maths e.g. phone pin numbers to unlock your phone, checking the time, catching the right bus or train, taking a register, working out ratios, spatial awareness… 

Rachel Turpie, Employability Facilitator, l&g learning.

Counting in twos

Being able to use number creates independence and often motivates children to engage

Maths is all around us and it’s our job to show children this and how important it is so they can build on their existing skills and develop new ones. The indoor and outdoor environments available for the children in our care should be full of these opportunities so that they are able to try out their skills in different contexts. 

In the spirit of celebrating maths week, I thought I would share a resource I created from looking at different books, and from my own experience in various early years settings, to compile some ideas and resources to incorporate numeracy and wider maths across the learning environment. 

The children should be able to explore these mathematical concepts through play and not even realise they are learning and demonstrating their skills as mathematicians! 

You can check out the resource here: Maths Is All Around.