What impact does providing a mathematically rich environment have on children’s development?
Researcher(s): Laura Webb
Setting(s): Stationhouse Nursery, Portishead
Status: Findings published
Stationhouse has noticed that within their EYFS data, funded two year children often have a lower number of mathematical observations than their peers and they are keen to redress this imbalance. Laura is keen to find out whether this is due to a lack of emphasis on Maths from the practitioners or the lack of mathematical exploration and learning opportunities that the children are engaging in.
As active members of the ‘World of Stuff’ in Weston Super Mare, we are planning on developing the indoor and outdoor learning environments, whilst providing the children will real and interesting materials to enhance their mathematical play. Laura has noticed that there is a strong link between the child, the teacher and learning environment and therefore all three ‘links’ must be considered.
Method: Laura will collect data for this by analysing observations of 6 specific children.
A note about Practitioner led Mathematical Research 2017
The Bristol Early Years Consortium Maths SLEs have received funding from the Boolean Maths Hub to:
- Develop specialist subject knowledge of mathematics teaching.
- Develop pedagogical knowledge of mathematics teaching.
- Improve the quality of mathematics teaching.
- Develop confidence and resilience in learning mathematics.
The SLEs as research mentors are using research as a form of CPD to achieve the above aims.
The research participants have sculpted their own questions for their research and the SLEs will meet with the research participants 6 times a year and have whole research group meetings three times a year. There are 15 teacher/practitioner researchers who work with children from two years old to seven years old.
