Reading, Comparing and Locating – Step 6

  • Where are they now?

    Reads, compares, orders and locates to 99

  • Where to next?

    Reads numerals to 30

    Compares and orders numeralsto 10

  • Purpose

    Reads, compares and orders numbers to 999

Activities and Assessments (designed to move students from step 6 to step 7)

The Sequencing Game – Advanced variation

Focus: Students make and name three-digit numbers by spinning spinners and/or drawing cards. In this game, sequencing is directly built into the game design. Students must carefully consider the implications of place value when they arrange their three digits to make a number and, connected with this, they must be mindful of where they place their number on the board as numbers must follow an order from smallest to largest between the 0 and the 1000. Accordingly, students should be encouraged to initially place the smaller numbers towards the zero and the larger numbers towards the 1000 to give themselves the best chance of fitting in subsequent numbers.

How:Students are each given a Sequencing Game board, either laminated (using a white-board marker to write) or just as a printed sheet (using a pencil). The game is best played in pairs or at most in groups of three. Students take turns in spinning three spinners (or drawing three cards) which give the digits from which the students make a three digit number, name it, and write it in one of the squares on the game board. On subsequent turns, each student must try to make a number that can be placed on the board, considering that the numbers must be ordered according to size, between the 0 and the 100. If a student cannot place a number without disrupting the order of smaller to larger, they must miss a turn. The first student to fill all of the squares on their board is the winner.

Questions to ask students during this activity: “Which number will you make the 10s digit?“, “Should your number be more than half way or less than half way?”, “Which number is half way between zero and one thousand?”, “Should it be closer to the end or to the middle?”

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    Beginners Sequencing to 1000 Game board

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    0 – 9 Spinners

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    Numeral Cards

Muddle in the Middle

Focus: The purpose of this activity is for students to concentrate on the relative size of a variety of three digit numbers. They should begin to realise the role the place value of the digits plays in these comparisons – for example that the first digit is usually critical unless it is the same as that on the numeral being compared, in which case the second digit becomes critical and so on.

How: This game is played in small groups of 2 to 4 players. A 0 – 9 spinner is spun three times, with each digit being written in the order in which it appears to create a random three-digit number. This process is repeated to create a second three-digit number. Students take turns to draw three cards from either a deck of cards with the picture cards removed, or a similar deck of numeral cards. They then try to arrange the three cards to make and name as many three digit numbers as possible, that have a value between that of the two numbers created by the spinners. The group must agree that that each number offered is actually valid – that is, it falls between the two ‘spinner’ numbers. One point is awarded for each correct number made, then the cards are returned to the pack and the next student begins their turn. After each round of turns, the spinners are spun again to make a new pair of three digit numbers. The winner is the student who has the highest score after three rounds.

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    0 – 9 Spinners

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    Numeral Cards

Assessment – What my number looks like

An appropriate number (for the stage of the student) is written in the centre of the sheet – the student then must try to make the number in a number of different ways (as indicated on the sheet.)

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    ‘What my number looks like’ sheet

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    ‘What my number looks like’ assessment rubric

Assessment – What my number looks like

An appropriate number (for the stage of the student) is written in the centre of the sheet – the student then must try to make the number in a number of different ways (as indicated on the sheet.)

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Download ‘What my number looks like’ Assessment Rubric

Assessment – Beginning Sequencing Probe Task (from ARC linkage research project)

A more intensive dignostic exercise designed to be carried out on single students in order to determine their working understanding of the Sequencing idea.

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    Beginning Sequencing Probe Task