The Yellow Door Blog

Number fun to 10!

Tried-and-tested inspiration from a Reception class teacher

Rebecca CumminsHi, I’m Rebecca and EYFS is my passion! I love to make my own resources and find resources that promote hands-on learning as much as possible, as well as a good bargain! I have worked in EYFS most of my career so far since university, but I am currently in my 4th year as a Reception class teacher and an EYFS lead. Just over a year ago, I set up a Facebook group and Instagram page called Sparkle and Shine in EYFS to share all my ideas which is going from strength to strength. Including sensory play ideas, play set ups and general inspiration, take a look:

Sparkle and Shine in EYFS on Facebook
Sparkle and Shine in EYFS on Instagram

Here are some of my activity ideas for using Yellow Door’s Number Pebbles, with pre-schoolers through to KS1:

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10 robust resources loved by you!

“We use your resources on a daily basis and our children love them”.

We love to get reviews on our website and are especially pleased to hear how durable and well-used our products prove to be in your busy settings! Niki Wilson, Manager of Folksworth Preschool, gives her feedback on the following resources:

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What is maths mastery in the Early Years?

How do you know when a child has mastered something? When a young child is learning to walk, we would not say they have mastered walking when they take their first wobbly step. We would say ‘mastery of walking’ is when they can do it forwards, backwards, uphill, when tired, around objects, on different surfaces and holding someone’s hand. It is the same when mastering an aspect of mathematics. A child has mastered counting to ten when they have a deep understanding of the numbers to ten. This means that they understand the sequence (order), quantities, properties and relationships between numbers 0–10, and they can play around with these and use them in different contexts. It takes time to develop depth of understanding and it is important that children are provided with the time and resources to explore and enjoy number.

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Top Picks – Letters and Sounds

This range of multisensory resources offer engaging ways to support and encourage pre-reading skills. Children will want to get hands-on with letters and their sounds as they explore these tactile resources, interactive apps.

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The importance of maintaining intergenerational connections

I read a very interesting article the other day that challenged the use of the term ‘social distancing’ to describe our relationships with others outside our household during the current coronavirus pandemic. The article maintained that the term that should have been used by Government was ‘spatial distancing’ because the aim is not to distance ourselves socially from people but to distance ourselves physically from them in order to avoid putting ourselves at risk.

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Top Picks for – Early Maths

This range of maths resources has been selected with parents in mind, as they play and learn at home with their children. They all work well for one-to-one learning and are designed to be taken outdoors too!

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Self-regulation: the basics

What is self-regulation?

Self-regulation is the means by which we control our responses to a situation. It involves understanding our emotions and developing strategies to manage them. It also incorporates being able to think a problem through and plan how to approach it.

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