Ireland · NCCA Curriculum Specifications
Junior Infants Foundations of Mathematical Thinking
This course introduces Junior Infants to the fundamental concepts of number, shape, and logic through hands-on exploration. Students develop early numeracy skills and spatial awareness by engaging with concrete materials and collaborative problem solving activities.
Early Number and Classification
Students explore the properties of objects and learn to organize their world through sorting and matching. This unit establishes the prerequisite skills for formal counting and arithmetic.
Identifying similarities and differences between objects to group them by specific attributes.
Recognizing, creating, and extending simple repeating patterns using colors, shapes, and sounds.
Using one to one correspondence to determine which groups have more, fewer, or the same amount.
Exploring Number and Counting
Developing a deep understanding of the numbers 0 to 5, including counting, recognition, and the relationship between numerals and quantities.
Mastering the stable order of numbers and understanding that the last number named tells the total quantity.
Exploring how small numbers can be put together or broken apart into smaller groups.
Connecting the spoken number name to its written symbol and physical representation.
Shape, Space, and Measurement
Investigating the physical properties of 2D and 3D shapes and exploring early measurement concepts like length and weight.
Identifying and describing the properties of common shapes in the environment.
Using positional language to describe where objects are located in relation to one another.
Using direct comparison to determine which of two objects is longer, shorter, heavier, or lighter.
Data and Time Awareness
Developing an understanding of the passage of time and learning how to collect and represent simple information.
Understanding the daily routine and using words like before, after, and next to describe time.
Gathering data about the class, such as favorite colors or how students travel to school.
Creating simple concrete graphs and pictograms to display information clearly.