Nursery World - Mathematics in the EYFS: Space

Where is it? Develop children's mathematical thinking by giving them plenty of opportunities to talk about positioning with resources and activities around the setting, suggested by Sheila Ebbutt and Carole Skinner.

The whereabouts of an object is always described in relation to something else: the pan is on the stove, the school is next to the shops, the balloon is above the tree. Instructions on how to get somewhere include direction words: left, right, up, down. Instructions on how far to go include measuring words: one step, a minute's walk, ten metres away.

Identifying the position of objects and places eventually includes measurement and scale. In order to say where on the shelves the bricks are, you need two pieces of information: the third shelf up and the fourth pigeon-hole along from the left. Having two location references can increase the accuracy of directions (as with plans and maps).

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