DO Maths & Science has been designed to develop children’s logical reasoning to increase their capacity to understand everyday maths and science concepts. Through investigation, hands-on activities and experiments, the children gain an appreciation for the importance of mathematics and science. Children enjoy a wide range of challenging numeracy and scientific activities that are perfect for learning, and keep the children engaged and excited.
DO Maths and Science encourages active problem solving and the autonomy to figure things out independently. Using a wide range of materials, children learn to manipulate not through rote but rather through memorisation, prediction and estimation. The program also encourages children to develop logical reasoning skills when presented with objects and data.
Milestones Covered in DO Maths & Science Programs:
Nursery & Toddlers
- Track with eyes
- Enjoy looking at patterns
- Enjoy looking at faces
- Understand basic cause and effect
- Understand size
- Understand 1 and many
- Understand words
Senior Toddlers
- Understand how many
- Begin to rote count
- Match basic shapes
- Explore empty and full
- Understand daily patterns of routines
- Complete knob puzzles to understand space
- Begin to understand prepositions (in/out)
Pre-Kindy & Kindy
- Recognise shapes in the world
- Start sorting by colour, shape and size
- Use maths for a purpose
- Understand that numerals stand for amounts
- Rote count to 20
- Use spatial awareness to put puzzles together
- Count with the concept of one-to-one correspondence
- Start to make predictions
- Use cause and effect
- Compare and classify by height, size or gender
How the DO Maths & Science Program is Implemented:
In every Day One classroom you will be able to find a variety of mathematics and scientific materials. Educators introduce concepts by talking to the children using mathematical and scientific words and terms, and encouraging the children to use maths to find solutions to problems.
Number words are introduced to the children to describe everyday materials and events, and the Educators also call attention to numbers in books and the environment. When writing, children are encouraged to write numbers, with materials provided to make activities fun and interesting.
Shapes are also called out by name, and children are taught to correctly identify shapes and numbers. Another concept that is introduced as part of the DO Maths and Science program is distance – children are encouraged to use words that describe position, direction and distance.
Taking things apart and putting them back together is another exercise that helps to build problem solving skills. Children are also provided with opportunities to sort and count things, and children are assisted to represented data using lists, charts and graphs. Questions are always encouraged throughout any DO Maths and Science activity.
Examples of DO Maths and Science Activities:
Nursery & Toddlers
- Making Play Dough
- Pouring water
- Counting songs
- Showing interest in their room
- Sand play
Senior Toddlers
- Counting songs
- Putting numbers in a bag
- Collecting numbers
- Identifying same and different
- Thinking about cause and effect
- Colour mixing
Pre-Kindy & Kindy
- Experimenting with items that float and sink
- Making a boat
- Using the senses
- Counting and understanding
- Estimating how many there are
- Solving problems
- Classifying materials
- Conducting volcano experiments
- Conducting plant growing experiments
- Lifecycle projects