10tickers

The charming 10Tickers book series introduces children to the seven areas of learning and development contained in the EYFS curriculum.

The most important resource is YOU

With your appropriate help and positive attitude, plus an enabling environment, your child will become resilient, capable, confident and self-assured.

In this supportive, loving and caring environment, they will learn in different ways and at different rates to other children. Your appropriate provision, given at an early age, will enable your child to learn effectively and make progress at their own rate of development.

Your child learns through indoor and outdoor (spontaneous or planned) play experiences. These books are planned to follow, or go hand in hand with their play experiences and so extend learning. They are not intended to replace these valuable, first-hand experiences of early learning.

Use the books in short, regular, frequent sessions (until your child’s interest wanes), rather than occasional, lengthy ones. Some of the books could be used as introductions to everyday topics, e.g. food in the kitchen.

Link mathematics with reading. Help your child, when necessary, to read these books. Point to each word or number as you read it, then let them read it alone. Make sure that they point to each correct word as it is read. This ensures that your child is not reciting the words like a poem.

Some of the words and phonics used are those that are introduced in your child’s early school reading activities. Help your child to sound out words phonetically, whenever possible and to recognise new sight words, (i.e. words that your child cannot sound out phonetically). Some jingles and rhymes are intended for you to chant and/or dance together, so that your child feels the rhythm and beat, which helps them to read and understand the mathematical content.

Draw attention to the difference between the numeral and its name, (that is 7 or seven).

From the outset, teach the correct way to hold a tool, (i.e. pencil, crayon, paint brush, scissors - left handed ones if necessary). Teach the correct formation of letters and numbers.

For all pages - Use cut-outs from comics and magazines to consolidate learning tasks and extend relevant vocabulary. Under your supervision and guidance, introduce simple mathematical, reading programmes and games on computers and tablet devices.

Everyday activities are valuable and can be fun as problem solving activities.

Some suggestions:

How many knives, forks, spoons, mugs are needed to set the table for 1/2/3 people? How many more mugs are needed if 2 friends come late?
Chalk a number line 1 – 5 on the floor. Ask your child to hop 5 spaces and ask which number they are on.
Draw a number line to 10 and ask your child to travel along it for a specific number of moves, then count them. This precedes a method of addition and subtraction.
Play dice games - use symbols and/or numbers from 1-10.
Use simple counting games, rhymes, songs and stories to raise awareness of the value of the number. For example, 1,2,3,4,5, Once I caught a fish alive, Five little speckled frogs, Ten green bottles.
Introduce mathematical vocabulary in everyday life. Use words such as big, little, top, bottom, altogether, add, more, more than, take away, less, less than, forwards, backwards and sideways.
Count a variety of objects, such as plates, mugs on the table, buttons on clothes, houses and shops on the way to school.
Make and pin up a clothes line, on which number cards 1 -10 are pegged. Let your child recognise and select the stated numbers. Extend the activity to filling in the missing numbers 1-10.
Sort everyday objects by shape, - circle, square, triangle, and rectangle and by size, - big, little. Compare the sizes, - bigger, smaller.
Measure and compare the quantities (heavier, lighter/greater, smaller) when using non-standard measurement, e.g. when shopping or baking together, or following correctly the sequence of a recipe.
Talk about and recreate simple patterns, using beads, shapes and buttons.
Play board games together, e.g. Snakes and Ladders, snap cards, mazes, using numbers to 3, to 5 and to 10.

*In some activities the phrase Tell a friend or Do this with a friend is used. This activity fosters speaking, listening and collaborative skills.

Our flash cards make learning fun, and can help your child to recognise numbers and number names.

Choose a quiet time to use them, e.g. when your child isn't tired or hungry.
Read in a fun and exciting way. Show the cards as quickly as possible, so that your child pays attention and enjoys the 'game'.
Repetition will help your child to succeed. Use the flash cards often, in short bursts, to reinforce the previous work.

Sit opposite your child, and show them one flash card at a time, whilst reading out the number on the card.
Begin with just a few cards, to make it easier for them. When you feel that yor child is ready, ask them to say each number aloud, instead of you. Prompt if necessary, and don't stay on one card for too long.

The experiences and activities in the Ticker books broadly reflect the principles contained in the statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, known as EYFS.

These activities are intended to help your unique child and you, as you start out together. They provide learning tasks that, along with your adult input, are aimed to be successful and give your child a feeling of self-confidence, so that they can achieve to the best of their ability.

In the EYFS Framework there are 7 areas of learning and development, all important and connected. The Ticker books contain relevant activities and, with your extended input, they offer a creative, enjoyable approach to the early curriculum. The mathematics and reading activities go hand–in-hand in developing your child’s confidence, understanding and skills. They draw upon speaking and listening skills, reading skills, stories and rhymes; improve skills in counting, understanding and using number and provide the ability to calculate simple addition and subtraction problems. They foster the ability to identify shapes, spaces and measures. The content and illustrations in the books give an idea of people and communities, the world and technology. Through the use of a wide range of media, materials and activities in art, music movement, dance, role play and design and technology, your child is able to represent his/her own feelings and thoughts. The books support the important personal, social and emotional area of the curriculum by introducing relevant discussion or ‘Circle Time’ opportunities, to discuss some of the positive and negative emotions that at times, all children experience, e.g. happiness, fear, fun and excitement,

The books contain a wide range of progressive activities which aim to cover the differences in children's individual rates of learning. Select the ones relevant to your child’s needs. With your input, the reading level in the books is intended to be meaningful to your child, but at times, extra input may be needed, to increase understanding and sustain interest.

The mathematics and reading activities go hand–in-hand in developing your child’s confidence, understanding and skills. They draw upon speaking and listening skills, reading skills, stories and rhymes; improve skills in counting, understanding and using number and provide the ability to calculate simple addition and subtraction problems. They foster the ability to identify shapes, spaces and measures.

The content and illustrations in the books give an idea of people and communities, the world and technology. Through the use of a wide range of media, materials and activities in art, music movement, dance, role play and design and technology, your child is able to represent his/her own feelings and thoughts.

At all times, the reading content will be a mixture of phonics (linking sounds and letters) and sight words that your child will meet in the EYFS curriculum. This approach aims to foster your child’s all-round development and to make the tasks easier to read, understand, undertake and complete successfully. Some tasks in the books will need your timely intervention and help, just as a classroom teacher will give, when supporting specific children.

The books support the important personal, social and emotional area of the curriculum by introducing relevant discussion or ‘Circle Time’ opportunities, to discuss some of the positive and negative emotions that at times, all children experience, e.g. happiness, fear, fun and excitement.

The 10 Ticker characters aim to raise awareness that a story or a rhyme can contain information as well as a story and that this discovery can be both rewarding and enjoyable. The activities, particularly the problem solving tasks, can also be used by you as simple, verbal assessment tasks to find out how well your child understands and makes progress. When a task is completed, use praise to help build confidence and self–esteem. Praise from you and the written comment, 1 big tick for me, or a :) are invaluable in sustaining motivation.

A look at the EYFS Framework in more detail

In the EYFS Framework there are 7 areas of learning and development all important and connected.

The 3 prime areas are: communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development. These areas make provision for your child to engage with learning through playing and exploring, to become motivated through active learning and to think creatively and critically.

They are strengthened and applied by the use of 4 specific areas which are literacy, mathematics, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.

The Ticker books aim to provide activities and experiences which broadly reflect these 7 areas, support your child’s learning experiences and through their success in learning, give confidence.

Communication and Language – to introduce an appropriate language environment, through which he/she can develop confidence and skills in expressing thoughts and feelings, speak and listen in a range of situations.

Physical Development – to give opportunities to be active and inter-active and develop coordination, control and movement. Foster a sense of the importance of physical activity and healthy food choices.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development – to present opportunities for him/her to develop a positive sense of himself /herself and others, form positive relationships and respect for others and develop social skills; present situations where he/she can learn how to manage feelings, understand appropriate behaviour in groups and gains confidence in his/her own ability.

Literacy – to introduce specific skills of early reading and writing skills through content that catches his/her interest.

Mathematics - to develop his/her skills in counting, understanding and using numbers, calculating simple addition and subtraction problems and his/her ability to describe shapes, spaces and measures.

Understanding the World – to guide him/her to make sense of his/her physical world and community through opportunities to explore, observe and find out about people, places, the environment and technology.

Expressive Arts and Design - to give opportunity for him/her to explore and play with a wide range of media and materials and share thoughts, ideas and feelings though activities in art, music movement, dance, role - play and design and technology. Through the use of media and materials give your child opportunities to explore and be imaginative.

“Young children learn best through play. The Ticker books provide an excellent resource for them, together with their parents, carers and teachers, to experience the joy of learning about words and numbers, shape and colour, in ways that are playful, engaging and enjoyable.”
Professor Lesley Abbott, Professor of Early Childhood Education

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10ticks, 10tickers and Boffinsquad are registered trademarks of Fisher Educational Ltd in the UKand in certain other countries. © Fisher Educational Ltd 2020