One of the ten principles underpinning Birth to Three Matters is that 'Children learn by doing rather than being told'. This reminder is invaluable when practitioners take time to reflect on developmentally sensible ways to approach very early numeracy. And another principle is particularly relevant here: 'Caring adults count for more than resources and equipment.'
Hands-on experiences
Manufacturers of plastic toys with moulded numbers attached may claim that such features promote babies' and toddlers' learning. But written numbers are abstract concepts and make no sense whatsoever to under-threes. Such toys are, therefore, a waste of money and storage space.
If babies and very young children are to start to grasp basic mathematical ideas, their learning needs to be supported by a range of suitable and flexible materials and plenty of hands-on experiences.
'Making connections' within A Competent Learner of Birth to Three Matters covers early numeracy. Its examples and suggestions are all powerful reminders that young children need to experience meaning in their world.
Three-, four-and five-year-olds should still have every opportunity to count, estimate and measure in meaningful ways. The older children in this age range will begin to crack the written code of 1, 2, 3, but only through experience of numbers used within their play or familiar environment.
The adult role
Under-threes - and over-threes as well - really do need to be looked after by thoughtful adults who ensure that the resources and experiences that they offer are within the understanding of the children in their care.
The Responsive Care strand of Birth to Three (Scotland) homes in on the need for adults to engage in 'thoughtful and attentive interactions' (page 27) and asks the question, 'Are you tuned in?'
'Tuning in' is vital, particularly as babies and very young children will often lack the skills to express themselves in words. So, the informed practitioner must be able to build a picture of a child's interests, thoughts and level of understanding by interpreting the child's actions.
Practitioners need to be constantly alert to the signs of children's mathematical understanding - of children 'doing numbers'. Take for example:
* a baby noticing that an item is missing
* a young toddler starting to use expressions such as 'no more', 'all gone'
and 'one more'
* a child beating a drum rhythmically
* an older toddler starting to echo 'One, two, three - go!' in their play, or to draw you into their play
* a two-year-old joining in counting rhymes and doing the accompanying hand movements.
All these observations indicate that the children involved are beginning to understand concepts of number and amount. (Such observations should, of course, be recorded and fed into future planning discussions.) It is easy for practitioners working with over-threes to underestimate how much children think through mathematical problems and ideas during the flow of their play and daily routines. It can be even easier to miss the very early foundations of that experience. Sometimes practitioners look for something that is too complicated, or try to rush the process of understanding.
In response
But an alertness to children's developing mathematical awareness will enable effective practitioners to respond quickly to a child's needs and abilities - in words (during interactions with the child) and in actions (through short-term planning, for instance, by providing additional resources). For example:
* A practitioner playing a game of 'now you see it, now you don't' with a baby says, 'Yes, we had two balls, didn't we?' (pause) 'Now we've only got one' (pause) 'Where's it gone?' (pause) 'Here it is!' (The baby will not understand the number words as such, but by dropping such number words appropriately into conversations, the baby will, over time, make sense of them.)
* A practitioner playing with two toddlers dropping small objects into large containers says, 'What a great noise!' and counts the items as they clatter into the container, for as long as the children seem interested in the game. (The 'Birth to Three Matters' video has a good example of a practitioner counting the balls as children drop them down tubing while playing outdoors.)
* A practitioner provides a small group of two-year-olds interested in building towers with a set of graded blocks. She then engages in their play, saying, 'That is an impressive tower. I wonder how many blocks you have there', and then points at and counts them. (Of course, practitioners shouldn't count the bricks every time, but instead should join in sometimes when children start to count.) There are many other ways in which adults can engage with children to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts. For example:
* Sing number rhymes with young children that count up and down to develop their understanding of number order.
* Play 'Can you spot...?' games with toddlers and two-year-olds, using book illustrations or posters. They can point to the objects while the adult can say, for example, 'Yes, there's one truck. Now where's the other truck? Yes, well done, you've found it - two trucks! Any more?'
* Use any opportunity that naturally occurs on trips to talk about number.
For example, 'Ooh! There's a duckling and, yes, another one. That's two baby ducks!' Toddlers and two-year-olds like to share this exciting experience with other people. You can help with, 'We saw two baby ducks, didn't we? And then more came out. It was hard work counting them. But there were five in the end.' The adult can count on their fingers as they say the words.
* Use number in daily routines such as mealtimes. For example, 'Shall I give you two sausages to start with? One sausage, two sausages.' Toddlers and young children like to help lay the table, and there is good reason to ask, 'How many people have we got for tea?' Always count on your fingers while saying the numbers.
* Comment on number in their play. For example, children may be busy with a game that revolves around 'How many... can we get in?'
FURTHER RESOURCES
* Caddell, Dorothy (1998) Numeracy Counts, Learning and Teaching Scotland, and other useful material about early numeracy for three-to five-year-olds in the early years section of www.ltscotland.org.uk
* Learning and Teaching Scotland (2005) Birth to Three: Supporting our youngest children is available at www.ltscotland.org.uk/ earlyyears/birthtothree
* Lindon, Jennie (2006) What does it mean to be two? (Step Forward Publishing)
* Sure Start/DfES Birth to Three Matters: A framework to support children in their earliest years 2002 is at www.surestart.gov.uk/ resources/childcareworkers/birthtothreematters
