The number knowledge of four to five year olds at school entry and at the end of their first year

The early development of young children's number skills has been extensively documented. Moreover throughout the primary school years children build upon these skills to develop more flexible strategies which make less demands on working memory and begin to learn number facts. This paper aims to explore the mix of number knowledge and strategies young children bring into school and the way these develop over the reception year. The wide range of knowledge possessed at school entry as well as the broad span of achievements at the end of children's first year are noted. The relationship of these skills to the conventional UK reception class curriculum is considered. A persistent trend to find low scores in children who entered school in January is noted. Overall, many children display considerable numerical competence at school entry, most display marked improvement over the year, whilst a small minority still have made very limited progress despite the considerable efforts of their teachers. Reasons for this are put forward.