Thursday, 17 July 2025
An early mathematics approach developed by experts at the 糖心原创, has been included in published findings from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), marking a significant contribution to the evidence base for early years education.
The findings, from seven independent evaluations of different early years programmes, includes – a hands-on, low cost, early mathematics approach to develop children’s number sense.
Developed by Dr Catherine Gripton, Associate Professor in Mathematics Education, with colleagues in the university’s Observatory for Mathematical Education, the Counting Collections approach involves adding a counting library into the classroom.
The team at the Observatory for Mathematical Education are thrilled that Counting Collections has had a positive impact on so many teachers and children. It is why we conduct research in early mathematics, to help teachers raise children鈥檚 attainment and enjoyment of mathematics in the early years, providing the foundations for future success at school.鈥�
In Reception classes (four- and five-year-olds), the teacher leads a whole-class session using the library for 30 minutes each week, as part of their maths teaching. Children work with a partner to choose a collection, plan how they will count it, count the objects, and draw/write how many objects are in the collection. This four-part routine (choose, plan, count, record) is used in every session. The children can also access the library throughout the week.
Teachers are provided with training in how to use Counting Collections with five professional development sessions and access to an online learning platform which includes documents showing how children progress in key areas of number learning.
This approach is similar to that of a reading library, but for numbers, where children browse and choose the collection they would like to count and how they would like to count. The library consists of a set of boxes with different numbers of interesting objects to count (the collections) as well as containers, trays, frames and tracks that children can use to help them count the objects (the tools).
“Reception teachers do a fantastic job, and we are pleased to provide them with an easy-to-implement, whole-class approach that reduces rather than adds to their workload. I am grateful to the Department for Education and the Education Endowment Foundation for supporting this trial which has provided important evidence on children’s early mathematics learning,” added Dr Gripton.
In 2023-24, 180 Reception classes in primary schools in the North-east, South-west, East Midlands and South Yorkshire regions of England participated in a trial of Counting Collections. The research was funded by the by the Department for Education’s Accelerator Fund and commissioned by the and evaluated by Sheffield Hallam University.
The EEF’s publication of the trial findings shows that the children make on average the equivalent of one month of additional progress when their teacher uses Counting Collections in their maths teaching. In addition, teachers find that programme improves their knowledge of how to teach number and the children’s mathematical thinking, talk, confidence and enjoyment. Teachers said they also found Counting Collections easy to use, liking how active the sessions are and how it supports children to draw and write numbers effectively.
The EEF is now reviewing all seven evaluations – four on communication and language, and three on early maths, to decide which should progress to the next stage of evaluation, to build an even better picture of their impact.
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More information is available from Dr Catherine Gripton, Associate Professor in Mathematics Education, via catherine.gripton@nottingham.ac.uk
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