Set for School is a critical focus for our four-year-olds at Best Start Te Atatū Road. Early numeracy is a vital foundation for tamariki as they begin to make sense of their world through numbers, patterns and relationships. In our learning environment, we embrace hands-on, playful experiences to support this development in meaningful ways.
One recent activity involved using playdough alongside our fingers to explore counting. Tamariki rolled small balls of playdough and counted each one as they placed them in a line. This tactile experience allowed them to see and feel quantity, strengthening their understanding of one-to-one correspondence. Using their fingers alongside the playdough supported this further, helping tamariki connect physical counting with number awareness in a familiar and accessible way.
Through this play-based approach, children were not only practising counting but also developing fine motor skills, concentration and confidence in their abilities. These moments of learning were rich in conversation, with kaiako supporting language such as “how many”, “more” and “less”.
This experience links closely to Te Whāriki Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners. Here, tamariki develop early mathematical understandings through exploration, play and active engagement, building a strong foundation for future learning.