Introduction:
Cambridge Early Years Check Together (Check Together) is a computer-based adaptive assessment designed to find out what children know and can do when they enter EY2. Children in EY2 are normally between 4 and 5 years old. The assessment is carried out on a one-to-one basis with a teacher or other education professional and assesses Early Literacy and Early Maths. The assessment was carried out in Cambridge schools in Cyprus, Indonesia, India, Thailand and Vietnam. The maths section of the assessment covers understanding of shapes, numbers, measure, counting, and simple addition and subtraction.

Method:
At the start of the school year in 2024, 1010 students in 33 schools and 5 countries were assessed using Check Together. The results were analysed using Rasch statistics and difficulty values for each question in the assessment were calculated. These results were then used to determine the percentage of children in each country who were able to answer each question correctly. The results from each section of the maths assessment were compared by country.

Findings:
Basic maths concepts were similar for schools in Cyprus, Indonesia and Thailand, but the schools in India and Vietnam showed marked differences. Counting ability was well developed in all the samples, although number recognition varied more widely. In some of the data there was a mismatch between the numbers (shown as single, or two digits) correctly identified and counting ability. Identification of shapes, both 2D and 3D was similar across the different countries sampled.

Conclusions:
Children are born with an inherent ability to understand numbers. Experiments with very young children show that they are aware of quantity. For instance, they show a reaction where a small number of items changes. Parents too, like to teach their children about early number, perhaps teaching them to count. However, when children start formal schooling, typically a wide range of ability is apparent. It is important therefore, to assess children when they start a new year in school if teachers are to plan their lessons to match the children in their class. The data from the Check Together assessment shows that children across the world respond well to mathematics as a discipline and can demonstrate basic mathematical skills such as digit identification and counting from an early age.

Keywords: Early Maths, Assessment, International education.