Where are they now?
Participating in structured and supported counting rhymes and songs – counting and numbering concepts still in development
Where to next?
Recognises collections to 5 in less than 2 seconds without counting
Purpose
When students associate mental images of dot patterns or collections of objects with numbers (either stated orally or written), they are more likely to understand that maths is about quantities and not just memorising word patterns.
Activities and Assessments (designed to move students from Step 1 to Step 2)
Subitising cards
Focus: Visualise and identify numbers to 5 as dot patterns or as the total made by groups of dot patterns.
How: Students work in pairs and take turns to ‘flash’ (show for about two seconds) the cards to each other. A thirty second timer can be used and the total of correct answers recorded (the total number of dots can be written on the back of the card to assist the person ‘flashing’). Students try to beat their previous scores. It is important that this is modelled by a teacher with the whole class at regular intervals and that students are given a chance to explain or discuss personal strategies. Choose subitising cards showing five dots or less for this activity.
Links
References to Other Resources