PSRN, I really struggle!

[littleguy1]

Can anybody give me a load of ideas for PSRN area of development. I really struggle to distribute activities evenly between areas and never have enough obs for PSRN.

[BuggsieMoo]

Counting - so it could be blocks, cars, leaves or songs such as 10 fat sausages, 5 little ducks, 5 little speckled frogs.

Simple sums - I have 2 blue cars and I add 1 red car, how many cars do I have and get LO to count the cars.

Mirror images shapes - Triangle, circle, square - get LO to hold a mirror and try and draw it.

Draw a shape in the air song.

[samb]

Simple things that you probably already do like pointing out shapes in the environment - on school run finding different shaped man hole covers/drains/signs. Numbers on number plates/door numbers/sign posts. Number songs/books. Belonging - having cups/pegs etc that belong to certain children. modelling language whilst they are playing with cars/sand/water etc like "can you put more sand in the bucket", "there are a lot of cars in that garage lets make them chase down the ramp, 1, 2, ..." Counting out the snacks when serving it up or giving out drinks etc. Using tody up time to categorise toys - lets put all the red bricks in the box first, now all the blue etc. Using finger puppets where everyone has 1 then 1 on each hand etc and counting them or asking them have we got the same amount etc. Using puzzles - peg board, large or small pieces. When playing with items use language such as "can you put the sheep inside the fence, the chicken on the rood etc". Do treasure hunts where you say things like "next to the chair". Put things into role play areas such as scales so they can weigh and measure. Do cooking and count and weigh and pour from small jug into large bowl etc.

You probably do most of these just that it is easy to over see these as not being PSRN.

[cherry]

I find these books of Penny Tassoni's very helpful


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Penny-Tasson...5871300&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Penny-Tasson...5871300&sr=1-4

[zippy]

Measuring water from one container to another, shape recognition, any number play, puzzles, mathematical words like bigger smaller etc.

[littleguy1]

Thanks guys. I feel a bit silly as it seems really simple to document now that I think about the ideas you've given me!

[miffy]

There are lots of ideas (and pictures ) here

http://earlyyearsmaths.e2bn.org/

Miffy xx

[EmmaBugsy]

This may be random but I tried this with a 4yo today, gave them a bunch of grapes at snack time and asked them to share it with the other kiddies, making a pile for each and making sure they had the same number, counting each pile to check then handing them out.

Emma x

[The Juggler]

all of what you are doing is great and will support them. But don't forget about the non-counting and non, shape and measure skills too.

PSRN in very young children - look for the non-verbal. everytime they try and work out how to do something, persevere by trying different ways and then succeed - they are problem solving. Independent (and supported) problem solving like this develops children's creative thinkign skills which in turn will support them later to attempt more complex skills like mathematics, symmetry, science in a positive way without worryign about havign the right or wrong answers.

building towers (and learning how to make them balance) is learning about how shapes fit together

stacking cups on top or putting them inside each other is learning about size.

My 9 month old couldn't lift her cup the other day so she tipped it over on the table and put her mouth to it there great PSRN skills.

learning how to maneovure themselves with trolleys and buggies round corners.

sorting things, putting all the sheep or cows together in smallworld

water and sand play are great for this as things like two similar cups or diggers, one with holes and one without, kids will spend ages trying to work out why the water or sand won't stay in one and will hold them.