Port Folio Objective 1.2

Objective 1.2

Explains how young children’s literacy & numeracy learning can be socially conveyed through behaviour, feelings or approach.

Action Plan

This action plan will consist of an activity that children of all ages can participate in, a great way to occupy their time during the school holidays. The plan can be altered for all age groups and made harder or easier for different ability levels and confidence. I have decided to aim this action plan at the three children that I nanny for aged 4/5/6 and all very bright and easily engaged with new and fun problems.

This activity is titled ‘Worded Math Problems’ and will encourage the children to connect written numbers using words and the associated problem to the numbers and the object. It will behave similar to a treasure hunt but the worded problem will give a more numeric equation to the solution. Once the children have solved the problem they are they encouraged to write the answer using the number and the written number next to a matching picture.

Each of the problems can be made simpler for the younger children while more worded problems and harder sums will test the older children and offer a challenge made fun for the school holidays. It is both enjoyable and educational for children, as they can learn whilst helping each other with enthusiasm and eager. I believe this would be more enjoyable for a group of children, rather than an individual task as children can work together to find the answer, especially if older children are assisting younger children.

For example: and draw pictures in the empty column

In the kitchen, can you find me two apples and one pear? How many fruit do I have?	3	Three
I have one shoe but two feet. How many more shoes do I need to find?	1	One
I used to have eight cupcakes but I ate two. How many are left?	6	Six
In a bag of skittles, how many different colours are there?	5	Five
How many mugs are in the cupboard?	7	seven
I have five pot plants and each of them have two flowers. How many flowers?	10	Ten
When you look in the mirror, how many eyes are staring back at you?	2	Two

This activity can be changed and added for different abilities and quantities of children by using any object and creating a worded problem that tests the child’s knowledge and understanding of written and numbered solutions. The behaviours of the children will be positive as it is a fun holiday activity and they will be excited to learn more as the learning aspect of this is disguised in a fun counting activity that includes eating, collecting and searching.

The children will work together and help each other solve the problems, especially the older kids helping the younger siblings will feel a sense of satisfaction and feelings will be positive. Older siblings will approach this task with higher confidence levels as the problems will be fun and easy for them to do, as the problems get harder, a risk taking approach is encouraged to help boost confidence and extend each of their ability levels. A further extension will help children progress and really test their abilities and could be achieved by asking children to write their own math worded problems and help their siblings or parents solve them, proving an understanding on numeric value and understanding the literacy that is connected.