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A series of comprehensive resources designed to help Reception teachers with maths mastery teaching on mass and capacity. Includes lesson slides, fully comprehensive lesson planning, worksheets, activity cards and much more. Everything you need to save time in Early Years with maths planning and preparation.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) outlines the standards for the learning, development, and care of children from birth to five years old. Within the EYFS, various areas of learning are identified, including mathematics, where concepts such as mass and capacity are introduced to young learners.
Mass and capacity are important mathematical concepts that help children develop a sense of measurement and comparison. These concepts are embedded in various aspects of a child’s daily experiences, and early exposure helps build a foundation for later mathematical understanding.
**Mass:**
In the context of EYFS, mass refers to the amount of matter in an object. Early learning experiences related to mass involve exploring and comparing the weight of different objects. Children might engage in activities where they use language to describe and compare the mass of objects, such as heavy, light, heavier, and lighter. They may use balance scales to visually represent and compare the mass of different items.
Activities related to mass in the EYFS may include:
1. **Weighing and Sorting:** Children can participate in activities where they weigh and sort objects based on their mass. This hands-on exploration helps them develop an understanding of relative weights.
2. **Comparing Objects:** Through play and guided activities, children can compare the mass of various objects, identifying which is heavier or lighter. This helps them develop the language skills necessary for expressing comparisons.
**Capacity:**
Capacity, in the context of EYFS, relates to the amount that a container can hold. Early experiences with capacity involve exploring containers of different sizes and understanding concepts such as full, empty, more, and less. Children engage in activities that allow them to pour liquids, fill containers, and compare the capacity of various objects.
Activities related to capacity in the EYFS may include:
1. **Water Play:** Water play is an excellent way for children to explore capacity. They can pour water from one container to another, observing how different containers hold different amounts of water.
2. **Filling and Emptying:** Children can participate in activities where they fill and empty containers with various materials, fostering an understanding of capacity concepts.
In both mass and capacity activities, EYFS educators focus on providing hands-on experiences that encourage exploration, problem-solving, and the development of mathematical language. These early encounters with mass and capacity lay the groundwork for more advanced mathematical concepts as children progress through their educational journey.
Explore our Early Years maths scheme. Aligned with the White Rose progression.
