Dr Maulfry Worthington
@maulfry.bsky.social
Originator of Children's Mathematical Graphics with Elizabeth Carruthers; passionate about early childhood maths; graphicacy; pretend play; semiotics; child-centred learning. Early years academic & published author; England.
www.childrens-mathematics.net
www.childrens-mathematics.net
It's important that teachers and practitioners are aware that children's mathematics doesn't only occur in adult-planned activities or lessons. The mathematical thinking they freely communicate in their play is hugely valuable for their developing understanding.
www.childrens-mathematics.net
www.childrens-mathematics.net
September 10, 2025 at 12:36 PM
It's important that teachers and practitioners are aware that children's mathematics doesn't only occur in adult-planned activities or lessons. The mathematical thinking they freely communicate in their play is hugely valuable for their developing understanding.
www.childrens-mathematics.net
www.childrens-mathematics.net
Four year old Mason drew on his 'funds of knowledge'
as he wrote a string of letters and numerals, reading
"SK, 714bp10". Lifting his spy gadget to his face he
explained "SK is to keep the password safe. To switch it
on you have to say '714bp10' - and you have to read it
backwards for 'off'"!
as he wrote a string of letters and numerals, reading
"SK, 714bp10". Lifting his spy gadget to his face he
explained "SK is to keep the password safe. To switch it
on you have to say '714bp10' - and you have to read it
backwards for 'off'"!
September 10, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Four year old Mason drew on his 'funds of knowledge'
as he wrote a string of letters and numerals, reading
"SK, 714bp10". Lifting his spy gadget to his face he
explained "SK is to keep the password safe. To switch it
on you have to say '714bp10' - and you have to read it
backwards for 'off'"!
as he wrote a string of letters and numerals, reading
"SK, 714bp10". Lifting his spy gadget to his face he
explained "SK is to keep the password safe. To switch it
on you have to say '714bp10' - and you have to read it
backwards for 'off'"!
Moving TV last night (and tonight) about the 'Mother and Baby homes scandal in England.
The impact it had on one young mother who was 16 at the time was horrendous. She said they were accused of being whores and prostitutes, and she had believed she was worthless all of her life.
I cried.
The impact it had on one young mother who was 16 at the time was horrendous. She said they were accused of being whores and prostitutes, and she had believed she was worthless all of her life.
I cried.
September 4, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Moving TV last night (and tonight) about the 'Mother and Baby homes scandal in England.
The impact it had on one young mother who was 16 at the time was horrendous. She said they were accused of being whores and prostitutes, and she had believed she was worthless all of her life.
I cried.
The impact it had on one young mother who was 16 at the time was horrendous. She said they were accused of being whores and prostitutes, and she had believed she was worthless all of her life.
I cried.
Isaac, (4 years, 6 months) was playing 'Builders'. On a play
cheque he wrote a reversed and inverted letter 'a' to signify “£500.00 for all the jobs I've done at my house".
Young children begin to differentiate letter and numerical symbols in meaningful contexts such as their own pretend play.
cheque he wrote a reversed and inverted letter 'a' to signify “£500.00 for all the jobs I've done at my house".
Young children begin to differentiate letter and numerical symbols in meaningful contexts such as their own pretend play.
September 1, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Isaac, (4 years, 6 months) was playing 'Builders'. On a play
cheque he wrote a reversed and inverted letter 'a' to signify “£500.00 for all the jobs I've done at my house".
Young children begin to differentiate letter and numerical symbols in meaningful contexts such as their own pretend play.
cheque he wrote a reversed and inverted letter 'a' to signify “£500.00 for all the jobs I've done at my house".
Young children begin to differentiate letter and numerical symbols in meaningful contexts such as their own pretend play.
Of course it's an elephant - I can see its trunk!
August 26, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Of course it's an elephant - I can see its trunk!
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
It’s an elephant!
August 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
It’s an elephant!
Three-year-old Sam was watching as Bradley played with a calculator, talking about and writing numerals. Sam decided to copy what Bradley was doing, and made his own marks, making a connection between the technology, numerals and writing something down.
August 25, 2025 at 9:04 AM
Three-year-old Sam was watching as Bradley played with a calculator, talking about and writing numerals. Sam decided to copy what Bradley was doing, and made his own marks, making a connection between the technology, numerals and writing something down.
Hooray for the teacher who created the classroom culture in which the children are free to do this!
The children made this fantastic campervan. A collaborative masterpiece, I think! Can you see the kitchen in the back?#PlayIsTheWay
July 8, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Hooray for the teacher who created the classroom culture in which the children are free to do this!
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
“I’ve drawn the Taj Mahal by a beautiful rainbow river”
‘They’re so beautiful’ I respond
“Do you know what the numbers are?” the child asks
“The doors?”
“No…they are the way I drew them,
I started with 1, I did 2, and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6
and then I glued them on the river”
‘They’re so beautiful’ I respond
“Do you know what the numbers are?” the child asks
“The doors?”
“No…they are the way I drew them,
I started with 1, I did 2, and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6
and then I glued them on the river”
July 6, 2025 at 6:35 AM
“I’ve drawn the Taj Mahal by a beautiful rainbow river”
‘They’re so beautiful’ I respond
“Do you know what the numbers are?” the child asks
“The doors?”
“No…they are the way I drew them,
I started with 1, I did 2, and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6
and then I glued them on the river”
‘They’re so beautiful’ I respond
“Do you know what the numbers are?” the child asks
“The doors?”
“No…they are the way I drew them,
I started with 1, I did 2, and 3 and 4 and 5 and 6
and then I glued them on the river”
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
Language has its own special genres. And your toddler is working to master them all.
Thread 🧵
Thread 🧵
July 3, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Language has its own special genres. And your toddler is working to master them all.
Thread 🧵
Thread 🧵
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
When the education system demands things that aren't developmentally appropriate, you end up creating issues not solving them. Young children are not meant to be static for long periods of time. If we insist they are, we create 'behaviour problems' that are actually just children behaving normally.
June 28, 2025 at 7:52 AM
When the education system demands things that aren't developmentally appropriate, you end up creating issues not solving them. Young children are not meant to be static for long periods of time. If we insist they are, we create 'behaviour problems' that are actually just children behaving normally.
All change!
Some years ago, teachers were advised by the government to 'differentiate' tasks and activities for children.
Then came synthetic phonics and Mastery Maths - with little differentiation.
Now it's all change again - to 'adaptive teaching'.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose …
Some years ago, teachers were advised by the government to 'differentiate' tasks and activities for children.
Then came synthetic phonics and Mastery Maths - with little differentiation.
Now it's all change again - to 'adaptive teaching'.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose …
June 18, 2025 at 10:51 AM
All change!
Some years ago, teachers were advised by the government to 'differentiate' tasks and activities for children.
Then came synthetic phonics and Mastery Maths - with little differentiation.
Now it's all change again - to 'adaptive teaching'.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose …
Some years ago, teachers were advised by the government to 'differentiate' tasks and activities for children.
Then came synthetic phonics and Mastery Maths - with little differentiation.
Now it's all change again - to 'adaptive teaching'.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose …
Thank goodness decent Americans are standing uo against Trump's madness!
Millions across US turn out for ‘No Kings’ protests against Donald Trump
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Millions across US turn out for ‘No Kings’ protests against Donald Trump
Protesters demonstrate at about 2,000 sites nationwide on day US president holds military parade in Washington
www.theguardian.com
June 15, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Thank goodness decent Americans are standing uo against Trump's madness!
Both speech and graphicacy are symbolic languages, and there are links between the early development of both. Young children will intentionally use graphical marks (i.e. scribble-marks or dots) to communicate their mathematical thinking.
See: www.childrens-mathematics.net/gallery-1-ea...
See: www.childrens-mathematics.net/gallery-1-ea...
May 30, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Both speech and graphicacy are symbolic languages, and there are links between the early development of both. Young children will intentionally use graphical marks (i.e. scribble-marks or dots) to communicate their mathematical thinking.
See: www.childrens-mathematics.net/gallery-1-ea...
See: www.childrens-mathematics.net/gallery-1-ea...
Brilliant - I couldn't agree more!
Play England launches its new 10-year strategy today, along with the formation of the first-ever All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Play - hopefully both big steps towards a national play strategy.
playnation.uk/blog/2025/05...
@eugeneminogue.bsky.social
playnation.uk/blog/2025/05...
@eugeneminogue.bsky.social
May 28, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Brilliant - I couldn't agree more!
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
Soap phone! 🧼
As they grow, children’s play becomes gradually more sophisticated - passing through stages aligned with their cognitive development.
(Thread 🧵)
As they grow, children’s play becomes gradually more sophisticated - passing through stages aligned with their cognitive development.
(Thread 🧵)
May 26, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Soap phone! 🧼
As they grow, children’s play becomes gradually more sophisticated - passing through stages aligned with their cognitive development.
(Thread 🧵)
As they grow, children’s play becomes gradually more sophisticated - passing through stages aligned with their cognitive development.
(Thread 🧵)
And for some lovely examples of children's mathematical graphics in pretend play and other contexts, see www.childrens-mathematics.net
May 27, 2025 at 3:49 PM
And for some lovely examples of children's mathematical graphics in pretend play and other contexts, see www.childrens-mathematics.net
And look! No worksheets!
Love this! The power of play! #ScotEduSky #EduSky
May 27, 2025 at 3:30 PM
And look! No worksheets!
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
Love this! The power of play! #ScotEduSky #EduSky
May 27, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Love this! The power of play! #ScotEduSky #EduSky
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
Good grief- they’re 2- they should be wriggly !
Colleague’s school’s pre-school Ofsted inspector: I’ll need to write a comment about behaviour, the two year olds were a bit wriggly during story time.
May 17, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Good grief- they’re 2- they should be wriggly !
Crazy (education) world! What does this Ofsted inspector actually know about young children?
Heard it all now. Inspector criticising Nursery teacher for encouraging children to write their names as correct letter formation hasn’t been taught yet.Tell me you know nothing about teaching early writing or about developing children’s sense of self.
Make this nonsense stop!
Make this nonsense stop!
May 18, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Crazy (education) world! What does this Ofsted inspector actually know about young children?
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
Check out his cool flip phone!
As your baby grows as a language user they’re learning more than just vocabulary. They’re learning the social scripts and protocols that govern its use in different scenarios. 🧵
As your baby grows as a language user they’re learning more than just vocabulary. They’re learning the social scripts and protocols that govern its use in different scenarios. 🧵
May 13, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Check out his cool flip phone!
As your baby grows as a language user they’re learning more than just vocabulary. They’re learning the social scripts and protocols that govern its use in different scenarios. 🧵
As your baby grows as a language user they’re learning more than just vocabulary. They’re learning the social scripts and protocols that govern its use in different scenarios. 🧵
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
A Nursery Child draws hearts, counting them as she goes:
“There are 34 children in circle time and I’ve drawn all their hearts.
I’ve got a heart too, so I’m drawing my heart as well”
‘One for each child’ I respond.
“Yes” she responds “Everyone has one heart, we have to look after them!”
Joy!
“There are 34 children in circle time and I’ve drawn all their hearts.
I’ve got a heart too, so I’m drawing my heart as well”
‘One for each child’ I respond.
“Yes” she responds “Everyone has one heart, we have to look after them!”
Joy!
May 3, 2025 at 6:50 AM
A Nursery Child draws hearts, counting them as she goes:
“There are 34 children in circle time and I’ve drawn all their hearts.
I’ve got a heart too, so I’m drawing my heart as well”
‘One for each child’ I respond.
“Yes” she responds “Everyone has one heart, we have to look after them!”
Joy!
“There are 34 children in circle time and I’ve drawn all their hearts.
I’ve got a heart too, so I’m drawing my heart as well”
‘One for each child’ I respond.
“Yes” she responds “Everyone has one heart, we have to look after them!”
Joy!
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
Hey, what if instead of obsessing over how we can ‘make learning visible’ we thought instead of how we can make a learner’s power and spirit evident.
#edusky #learningstories
#edusky #learningstories
May 11, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Hey, what if instead of obsessing over how we can ‘make learning visible’ we thought instead of how we can make a learner’s power and spirit evident.
#edusky #learningstories
#edusky #learningstories
Reposted by Dr Maulfry Worthington
Absolutely! Let’s stop trying to evidence learning like it’s a checklist, and start noticing the spark, strength and spirit each learner brings. That’s what truly matters, and that’s where the transformation happens. #ScotEduSky #EduSky #PlayPedagogy
May 11, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Absolutely! Let’s stop trying to evidence learning like it’s a checklist, and start noticing the spark, strength and spirit each learner brings. That’s what truly matters, and that’s where the transformation happens. #ScotEduSky #EduSky #PlayPedagogy