Enriching Early Mathematical Learning

This book is a rich resource intended to support teachers and teachers in training with their teaching of mathematics in the early years. It comprises twenty activities which can be used as starting points. For each activity there are suggestions about how children might respond and guidance as to how the children may be further developed as learners. Support is also given to enable the teacher to embed the learning in a theoretical framework and make links with the National Curriculum.

All of the activities have been tried and tested in school and suggestions are made about the way in which these might be fitted into general classroom topics. There is a strong focus on formative assessment and how this can inform future planning.

Special features include:

* Very accessible to teachers

* Attractive and user friendly format

* Detailed support for introducing and extending activities which cover each area
of the National Curriculum

* Focus on using and applying maths at the early stages of Key Stage 1.

Grace Cook is a freelance primary mathematics consultant working in primary classrooms in London. She has a breadth of experience ranging from secondary teaching in Ghana to initial teacher training and working with early years children in London. She is presently focussing on in-service training, but has also worked as a classteacher of primary age children, more recently in the early years. She worked for some years as a primary maths advisory teacher for the Inner London Education Authority and contributed to writing, trialing and in service training for the ILEA 'Checkpoints' series.

Lesley Jones is a Senior Lecturer at Goldsmiths College, University of London. She taught in Birmingham prior to moving into higher education. She has published numerous articles in a variety of journals including Mathematics in School, Mathematics Teaching and Child Education. Together with Roy Richards, she co-authored An Early Start to Mathematics, published by Simon and Schuster. She has also edited a book entitled Teaching Mathematics and Art published by Stanley Thornes and contributed to a book published by the Association of Teachers of Mathematics, Exploring Mathematics with Younger Children.

Cathy Murphy is Senior Lecturer in primary mathematics education at the University of Greenwich. Prior to this she has been an infant class teacher, primary mathematics consultant, mathematics advisory teacher and deputy head in London schools. She is presently involved in in-service education and initial teacher education. She was involved in the trialing of ILEA 'Checkpoints' and also contributed to Mathematics in Primary Schools: Children and Mathematics, Making it Happen and Beam Starters Harper Collins.

Gillian Thumpston worked in London primary schools before becoming a member of the Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) Mathematics Team. She contributed to Mathematics in Primary Schools: Children and Mathematics, Making it Happen and Beam Starters now published by Harper Collins and was a member of Beam, a mathematics curriculum development project. Before moving to her present post as Curriculum Development Advisor for Essex Advisory and Inspection Service, she was a lecturer at Goldsmiths College, University of London.