Teaching article
Zero belongs in the collection story
Show an empty collection alongside collections containing objects.
An empty tray still answers a quantity question. Include it beside small counted collections so zero has a concrete role, instead of appearing only as a written symbol children are asked to remember.
A tray with no paper stars can be labelled zero; the empty tray still belongs in the comparison.
Give zero a role in a concrete situation. An empty collection can represent a quantity even though no objects are present to point at.
An empty space can represent an amount
Place objects in two trays. Leave one empty. Match each tray to its quantity.
Empty and missing information are not always the same situation.
What does zero describe in this example? Use a visible empty outline and spoken labels.
Resources
- Maths Puzzle Generator — Choose arithmetic or missing-number questions only when they match the number relationship being explored.
Further reading
Read next
- Teen numbers as a ten and some more
- Doubles facts with two equal groups underneath them
- The equals sign connects equal amounts on both sides
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