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