Please visit this forum topic for information relating to Samuel Kinge, the owner of the Sparklebox online resource.

National Strategies have published a new guidance document for practitioners. Numbers and patterns: laying foundations in mathematics is available to download from their website here or to order from Teachernet.

New Local Authority Members. We're delighted to inform you that Manchester LA have joined the FSF County subscription scheme. Gloucestershire, Windsor & Maidenhead, Norfolk, Guernsey, Staffordshire, Reading and Newcastle have renewed for a second year and LB of Barnet, LB of Richmond and Northumberland are renewing for the third year. A special welcome back for Stockton-on-Tees, Brent and East Sussex who have just renewed for a fourth year. I am especially pleased to announce that Hampshire, Birmingham and Cambridgeshire have just renewed for a 5th Year, welcome back! If you work in any of these authorities and would like to take out a free subscription, please click here. Current members from these authorities need do nothing: their account subscriptions will automatically be renewed.

New: Feb 1, 2010

Recent Ofsted Reports: What Have Inspectors Focused On? (Part 2)
In our second of four articles looking at recent Ofsted reports, we outline those issues that have appeared frequently over the last three months. Here we examine the recommendations and descriptions of good practice within the EYFS theme of Positive Relationships.

New: Jan 28, 2010

Recent Ofsted Reports: What have Inspectors Focused On? (Part 1)
Having studied over 100 Ofsted reports from the last three months, we can see certain recurrent themes. In a series of four articles we outline those issues that have appeared frequently and our first article looks at recommendations and descriptions of good practice within the EYFS theme of A Unique Child.

New: Jan 18, 2010

Music, Personal, Social and Emotional Development......and You!
In a series of articles Alison Harmer will be exploring music in relation to the six areas of learning. Here, she begins with music and PSED.

New: Jan 7, 2010

Using "You Choose" by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt, as a Focus for Activities
A new collection of ideas for activities inspired by a children's book. Suggested activities are linked to the Areas of Learning and Development, followed by possible role play areas and displays. There is also a book list with links to other books by the same author and illustrator, and with links to the same themes."You Choose" isn't a story book, but it's not a conventional non-fiction book either. It opens up the world, both near and far, to the children and asks them to think about the everyday and the unusual.

Featured article: The Importance of Young Children's Mark-making: Beginnings, Context, Meaning and Mathematics

Definition of mark making

Mark making is a generic term used to describe young children's own self initiated marks which may be explored through their actions or forms of symbolic languages such as drawing or writing or mathematics. Matthews (2003) states;

'Children as they begin to draw and paint, make an intellectual journey which has musical, linguistic, logical and mathematical as well as aesthetic aspects'

It is vital to understand that children make marks in all areas of learning and these marks are meaningful and precious records of their thought processes.

In England in the guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage (2008) mark making is encouraged and seen as a vital tool for communication. The recent DCSf publication, Mark Making Matters (2008) confirms the importance of the marks that young children make not only in literacy but there is a clear emphasis on valuing children's mathematical graphics. The Williams review (2008) further emphasised the importance of mark making and children's developing understanding of abstract mathematical symbols.

The Environment

The first step in supporting children's mark making is providing an environment that encourages their graphical explorations into all areas of learning. Children need lots of opportunities to make marks.

Everyday at Redcliffe Children's Centre in Bristol the children who attend our two nurseries and family groups have the opportunity to make marks of any kind with a variety of implements. On a typical day one can see the children outside using sticks in the mud making shapes and lines and curves. Others might be using our outside mark-making trolley selecting chunky chalks to draw on the concrete. Some children prefer paint and paint on the outside double easel. Underneath the canopy there is always a table with a builders tray and children sit with their friends underneath the canopy busily chatting and using their fingers to experiment in the tray which is full of some messy sensory material like shaving foam or baby lotion or cornflour gloop. Inside, the graphics area invites children to choose a pen, pencil and other writing and drawing material. There is a variety of equipment placed in the graphics area including stamps, wooden numbers, a number line, raffle tickets, calculator, envelopes, calendars and diaries. Each child has a pigeon hole where they can keep their special treasures or receive items and messages from other children and their key person. We have noticed that some children prefer large pieces of paper that they can use on the floor, where they make larger marks, maps and include mark making in their play. They tell stories as they draw. Paper and pencil and clipboards are everywhere so if children want to use them they are readily available. In every area of the nursery there are small child sized sturdy whiteboards; these are very popular with the children. There is also a large interactive whiteboard which provides another medium for children to explore lines and circles and all marks.

What do these marks mean?

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Featured article: Playful Pedagogy and Transitions in Children's Mathematics

Sometimes teachers and practitioners comment that they have been surprised to discover that some of the marks and representations children make are mathematical rather than marks of emergent writing. When you see a child making some marks think about the context in which the child has made them and watch and listen to what she says and does. Above all children will need to know that adults are genuinely interested in their marks and representations and what they intend them to mean.

Supporting children's own mathematical graphics should not imply young children sitting down to 'do written maths' - but learning environments where they choose to represent their mathematical thinking within authentic, child-initiated play. Children should also be free to choose how they represent their mathematical thinking for their purpose and context, and later for the calculation or problem they are solving.

Children's own representations support deep understanding by providing visual feedback, supporting their mathematical thinking, meanings and understanding about all aspects of written mathematics and symbols. In a sense children's mathematical graphics are their mental methods - on paper.

Recording what they did following a practical activity has limited value and involves lower levels of thinking. Children do not need to record mathematics they can do mentally, or to record something they have worked out in a practical context. Recording places the emphasis on marks and drawings as a product and is a lower level of cognitive demand (thinking) in mathematics. The difference between representing mathematical thinking and recording is one of quality and depth of thinking.

Processes of mathematical thinking (creative thinking, reasoning, meanings, understanding, problem solving, negotiation and co-construction of understanding) come to the fore in children's mathematical graphics, underpinning point 8 of the Foundation stage profile 'uses developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems' and many aspects of using and applying mathematics' (DfES, 2006). However, for many children the move to a new setting means an abrupt change in the way in which they are expected to write mathematics.

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