Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF): Mathematics for 4-5 Year Olds

This project delves into the application of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) to mathematics education for children aged 4 to 5 years. The core focus is on teaching counting and number recognition through play-based activities, which aligns with the EYLF's emphasis on child-centered learning. The project explores how play, using blocks, abacuses, and other engaging materials, fosters mathematical understanding and skills. It emphasizes the importance of creating stimulating learning environments and incorporating everyday objects to reinforce mathematical concepts. The project also examines the role of teachers in encouraging mathematical thinking, providing examples of activities, and promoting the development of social, emotional, and physical skills through play. References to key educational theorists and research support the strategies for promoting mathematical learning in early childhood settings. The project concludes by highlighting the significance of teacher evaluation and the implementation of effective strategies to enhance children's mathematical abilities. This project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively teach mathematics in the early years using play based activities.

Early Years Learning
Framework for
Mathematics

Introduction
What is the chosen age group?
The age that has been chosen for teaching mathematics is 4 to 5 years.
What is the main mathematics concept?
The chosen mathematics concept is to make the children learn how to
count and recognize numbers.
What is the hosen curriculum link?
The chosen curriculum link for educating the children with mathematics
is the Early Year Learning Framework or best known as EYLF.

What is Play based Activity?
Children are more provided with opportunities if they
are asked to play with blocks, abacas, toys and
interesting things rather than books (Parks, 2015).
It has been initiated by the Australian teachers in the
preschools.
Spontaneous play can be invented and enjoyed by the
child himself while guided play includes a direct
relationship between the teachers and the children.
Children engaged in
play based learning

Importance for Play based Activity
When a child is involved in an activity of playing he gets the chance to explore
himself while counting things he acquires skills in adding things.
He discovers new ideas and new methods of playing with the same toy therefore
becomes efficient in addition and subtraction.
He acquires control on his surroundings because he tries to get a hold on his
possessions. And understand the worth of his being.
He gets involved into critical thinking to have been able to solve the problems
faced while playing.
He gains the most important power for mathematics that is the ability to analyze,
to solve difficulties, evaluate and implementation of knowledge.

Space or Setup of the Play for the
Children
During this age if a child is provided with the opportunity of learning
outside he will be given ample of goods like rocks, water and gardens
that is not available indoor.
Children start arranging blocks both vertically and horizontally
placing the blocks above each other incorporating their everyday
language into the play which technically supports effective learning
and collaborative thinking.
They will be reaching at the height of understanding the
responsibilities of environment if they are asked to play outside.
The children are encouraged to wonder and gather knowledge about
collecting different things and counting them altogether.

Development of Mathematics through
Play
The children go through three primary stages
after participating in play regularly that are
development in a social, emotional and physical
manner. They also build up a communication skill.
By being involved in the play they learn to
understand shapes.
They become aware of the space and numbers.
They can measure mentally and examine which is
small and which is big and what can be placed on
one other (Zhu & Chiu, 2019). Learning mathematics through
everyday objects

Things that can be encouraged to be done
During this period children can be provided with
blocks and objects of different size and shapes.
They are given real life tasks which involves
number like giving 3 pens to the friend, eating 4
candies , putting 7 flowers in the box, picking 10
cards from the shelf.
 authentic sources of evaluation are like
measuring tape, diaries, food cartoons, address
books, spoons, clocks, phones and many tangible
things.
Abacas as a learning method

Promotion of Mark making
Children should be enticed with reward that would help them to achieve
the target.
They should be taught to keep the record of their progress which might
start with pebbles or sticks.
They should be introduced with the concept of five-tally.
They can also be encouraged to keep record with whiteboards, clipboards
and markers.
Pencil or tiffinbox marked with the system of marking should be given to
be used by them.

Promoting Mathematical Thoughts
Children learn to arrange flat blocks and put
them side by side to finish puzzles and make
pictures (Gerde et al, 2018).
Initially they fumble and fail to arrange in an
orderly way.
The process of gradual learning is noticed in
them.
Children of 4 years start learning to arrange
puzzles and put up picture by trial and failure and
achieving success at the end.
They put different shapes together accordingly.
Mathematics through Blocks
and play dough

Dramatic Mathematics and Exploration
Mathematical play can make the
children learn to acquire
knowledge in solving real life
problems.
Teachers and students are put into
a hypothetical situation where both
of them have to act (Horton, 2016).
Arranging blocks according to color
and shape is called clarifying.
Taking a basic thing and making it into
something complex is called investing
dynamics like making a boat from a
paper (Nguyen et al., 2016).
Becoming aware of the location of
different things is called knowing
spatial relations.
Dramatic math in post office made in

Evaluation of the Teacher
The most important role of the teacher is to encourage
the children with numbers, shapes and size.
They should involve with the students more often.
They should involve into play to encourage mathematics.
They should make new strategies and implement them
accordingly so that the students are encouraged to learn
math in a quicker way.

References
Gerde, H. K., Pierce, S. J., Lee, K., & Van Egeren, L. A. (2018).
Early childhood educators’ self-efficacy in science, math,
and literacy instruction and science practice in the
classroom. Early Education and Development, 29(1), 70-90.
Zhu, J., & Chiu, M. M. (2019). Early home numeracy activities
and later mathematics achievement: early numeracy,
interest, and self-efficacy as mediators. Educational Studies
in Mathematics, 102(2), 173-191.

References
Nguyen, T., Watts, T. W., Duncan, G. J., Clements, D. H., Sarama, J.
S., Wolfe, C., & Spitler, M. E. (2016). Which preschool
mathematics competencies are most predictive of fifth grade
achievement?. Early childhood research quarterly, 36, 550-560.
Horton, J. (2016). Dramatic play and its effects on math
achievement and student outlook in an early childhood classroom.
Parks, A. N. (2015). Exploring mathematics through play in the
early childhood classroom. Teachers College Press.