What maths is taught in Early Years Foundation Stage?

This video, by the Department for Education, is primary for nursery or early years teachers but we felt parents and carers may find it useful and use some of the ideas from the video to create a mathematically rich environment at home.

There are seven areas of learning (with 17 EYFS learning goals) and development that are central to the educational programmes in EYFS.  All areas of learning and development are important and interconnected but we are going to focus on maths.  The following has been taken from the DfE Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Up to the age of 5, it is essential for children to develop a strong grounding in number so they form the necessary building blocks to excel mathematically. 

Children should be able to  count confidently, develop a deep understanding of the numbers to 10, the relationships between them and the patterns within those numbers. 

By providing  frequent and varied opportunities to build and apply this understanding - such as  using manipulatives, including small pebbles and tens frames for organising  counting - children will develop a secure base of knowledge and vocabulary from  which mastery of mathematics is built. 

In addition, it is important that the  curriculum includes rich opportunities for children to develop their spatial reasoning skills across all areas of mathematics including shape, space and  measures. 

It is important that children develop positive attitudes and interests in  mathematics, look for patterns and relationships, spot connections, ‘have a go’,  talk to adults and peers about what they notice and not be afraid to make mistakes. 

Many schools and early years providers use the 'Numberblocks' TV series as a fun and engaging way to introduce basic maths concepts.  

Find out more about Numberblocks

The level of development children should be expected to have attained by the end of the EYFS is defined by the 17 early learning goals (ELGs).  

Please find below the two EYFS learning goals (ELGs) that are related to mathematics: Number and Numerical Patterns and what children need to be able to do to be at the expected level of development.

If there is any mathematical terminology below that you are unsure of, you may find the explanations on the Maths Vocabulary section of our website helpful. 

ELG: Number 

• Have a deep understanding of number to 10, including the composition of  each number;  14 
• Subitise (recognise quantities without counting) up to 5;  
• Automatically recall (without reference to rhymes, counting or other aids)  number bonds up to 5 (including subtraction facts) and some number bonds to  10, including double facts.  

ELG: Numerical Patterns 

• Verbally count beyond 20, recognising the pattern of the counting system;  
• Compare quantities up to 10 in different contexts, recognising when one  quantity is greater than, less than or the same as the other quantity; 
• Explore and represent patterns within numbers up to 10, including evens and  odds, double facts and how quantities can be distributed equally. 

The following are the remaining ELGs:

Communication and Language Listening, 

Attention and Understanding ELG

Speaking ELG

Personal, Social and Emotional Development  

Self-Regulation ELG  

Managing Self ELG 

Building Relationships ELG  

Physical Development  
Gross Motor Skills ELG 

Fine Motor Skills ELG  

Literacy  

Comprehension ELG

Word Reading ELG

Writing ELG

Understanding the World

Past and Present ELG

People Culture and Communities ELG

The Natural World ELG

Expressive Arts and Design

Creating with Materials ELG

Being Imaginative and Expressive ELG