Mathematics Level 1 (Prep)
Learning focus
As students work towards the achievement of Level 1 standards in Mathematics, they manipulate and play with objects to develop links between their immediate environment, everyday language and mathematical activity.
In Number, students manipulate and group physical objects and drawings to develop basic understanding of the concepts of number and numerals. They group objects into sets (collections) and form simple correspondences (relations) between two sets; for example, in sharing pencils among students. They learn to count the number of objects up to 20 and relate the number counted to the use of a numeral. They describe and place objects in order such as first, second and third. They model addition by putting groups of objects together and counting the combined set and they model subtraction by moving apart groups of objects.
In Space, students manipulate and investigate the properties of basic two- and three-dimensional shapes. They use everyday objects and drawings to identify and describe points, lines, edges and surfaces. They recognise inside and outside. They participate in activities in which they create and follow simple verbal instructions to locate items in the classroom and immediate environment.
In Measurement, chance and data, students learn to compare common objects using terms such as longer, heavier, fuller and hotter. They begin to make estimates and simple measurements using informal units such as a number of paper clips in a length. In playing games of chance, students begin to recognise the unpredictability and uncertainty of events such as the roll of a die. They investigate situations requiring data collection and presentation in simple displays such as a pictogram of family pets.
When Working mathematically, students undertake activities and play to develop skills in making correspondences (for example, games such as Memory and activities such as matching students with their birth months). They create and explore number patterns using counters or other objects. They take risks by making and exploring conjectures relating to numbers, patterns, shapes and measurements (for example, ‘the bigger the object the heavier it is’ or ‘the next shape in a sequence will be …’). Students work with calculators to check the results of simple addition and subtraction. They draw and copy simple shapes and patterns by hand and also by using a computer drawing package.
Standards
Number
At Level 1, students form small sets of objects from simple descriptions and make simple correspondences between those sets. They count the size of small sets using the numbers 0 to 20. They use one-to-one correspondence to identify when two sets are equal in size and when one set is larger than another. They form collections of sets of equal size. They use ordinal numbers to describe the position of elements in a set from first to tenth. They use materials to model addition and subtraction by the aggregation (grouping together) and disaggregation (moving apart) of objects. They add and subtract by counting forward and backward using the numbers from 0 to 20.
Space
At Level 1, students recognise, copy and draw points, lines and simple free-hand curves. They identify basic two-dimensional shapes such as triangles, circles and squares and three-dimensional solids and objects such as boxes and balls. They recognise the interior and exterior of shapes and objects. They sort geometric objects according to simple descriptions. They place and orientate shapes according to simple descriptions such as next to, beside, in front of, behind, over and under.
They develop and follow simple instructions to move and place shapes and objects in familiar situations in relation to what they can see, and to move themselves from one place to another.
Measurement, chance and data
At Level 1, students compare length, area, capacity and mass of familiar objects using descriptive terms such as longer, taller, larger, holds more and heavier. They make measurements using informal units such as paces for length, handprints for area, glasses for capacity, and bricks for weight.
They recognise the continuity of time and the natural cycles such as day/night and the seasons. They correctly sequence days of the week. They use informal units such as heartbeats and hand claps at regular intervals to measure and describe the passage of time.
They recognise and respond to unpredictability and variability in events, such as getting or not getting a certain number on the roll of a die in a game or the outcome of a coin toss. They collect and display data related to their own activities using simple pictographs.
Working mathematically
At Level 1, students use diagrams and materials to investigate mathematical and real life situations. They explore patterns in number and space by manipulating objects according to simple rules (for example, turning letters to make patterns like bqbqbq, or flipping to make bdbdbdbd).
They test simple conjectures such as ‘nine is four more than five’. They make rough estimates and check their work with respect to computations and constructions in Number, Space, and Measurement, chance and data. They devise and follow ways of recording computations using the digit keys and +, − and = keys on a four function calculator.
They use drawing tools such as simple shape templates and geometry software to draw points, lines, shapes and simple patterns. They copy a picture of a simple composite shape such as a child’s sketch of a house.
In Mathematics, standards for the Structure dimension are introduced at Level 3.
Downloads
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Mathematics booklet (
PDF - 682KB) - Mathematics standards table (Doc - 118KB)
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Victorian Essential Learning Standards Level 1 ( PDF - 702KB)
