L15 – WWW – Reception Composition of 4

Working Without Worksheets – Reception Maths: Composition of 4 Support your Reception pupils in exploring how numbers are made up of smaller parts with this Working Without Worksheets lesson on the composition of 4 . Using ten frames, story contexts, counters, Numicon, and activity mats, children investigate all the different ways that 4 can be split into 2 or more smaller numbers—without using worksheets. The lesson begins with a starter activity : Show a ten frame with 4 double-sided counters arranged in different ways. Ask: “How many can you see? How can you see it?” Encourage children to notice the different arrangements, e.g. 4 and 0, 3 and 1, 2 and 2, 1 and 3, 0 and 4. The main input uses a story context : Show 4 birds’ eggs in a nest. Ask: “How many eggs are in the nest?” Confirm there are 4. Explain that some of the eggs begin to hatch. Model the change with visuals/animation. Ask: “How many eggs are still in the nest? How many birds are there?” Reinforce the composition of 4 with sentences such as “3 and 1 makes 4” or “2 and 2 makes 4.” For the independent activities , children explore the composition of 4 through hands-on play: Birds in a Nest Activity Mat – move eggs and birds into different positions to show different ways to make 4. Counters in a Cup – shake 4 double-sided counters, tip them out, and describe how many of each colour are showing (e.g. 2 red and 2 yellow = 4 ). Numicon Exploration – provide children with 1, 2, 3, and 4 Numicon pieces. Ask them to fit smaller shapes onto the 4 piece and explain the composition they’ve made (e.g. 1 and 3 makes 4 ). The plenary brings the class together to share the different compositions of 4 they discovered, reinforcing that while arrangements may change, the total always remains 4. What’s Included in the Pack? ✔ Full teacher planning with objectives, key vocabulary, and plenary guidance ✔ Starter: explore 4 on a ten frame in different arrangements ✔ Teacher modelling: “4 birds’ eggs” story to show parts a