Counting, and use of numbers as labels, constitutes one strand of mathematical development in the early learning goals. To foster this development, early years practitioners need to be aware how children's understanding of number develops and how then to support their learning.
Children begin to develop skills and concepts in this area at an early age. By the time they enter the Foundation Stage they will probably enjoy sorting objects, arranging animals in sets and toy vehicles in lines.
Some will be trying out counting skills in their play, chanting a sequence of numbers but not necessarily in the correct order, for example, '1 - 3 - 7 - 2 - 15 -100'. Others may already be familiar with the names and order of some numbers and have begun to understand the significance of one-to-one correspondence when counting.
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