Our Year 1 teachers are currently completing the Department for Education Year 1 Numeracy Check with students – and it’s safe to say the tiny teddies are making maths thinking both fun and engaging!

Using colourful teddy counters, students work through simple number problems, such as: “There are 11 teddies and 3 go on a picnic… how many are left?” While the answer is important, what teachers are most interested in is how students solve the problem.

Students might:

• Count on their fingers
• Count the teddies
• Use a strategy they already know
• Or simply “just know it”

These conversations help teachers understand the thinking and strategies students are using when working with numbers.

The numeracy check looks at several key areas of early mathematics, including:

• Counting – forwards, backwards and in patterns such as 2s, 5s and 10s
• Place value – reading, writing, ordering and interpreting numbers
• Strategies for addition and subtraction
• Early strategies for multiplication and division

This check in provides a helpful snapshot of each child’s numeracy development and helps teachers identify the next steps for learning.

It’s wonderful to see our students confidently explaining their thinking, with a little help from some very small teddies!