Teaching article
One object, one count: make the correspondence visible
Match one spoken number to one object and make the counting path visible.
A fluent number chant can conceal counting the same counter twice or skipping another. Watch how the count words line up with the objects, and use a small collection where that coordination is easy to inspect.
Watch the coordination between pointing and saying each count word. Moving an item to a counted area can make repeated counting visible.
Move counted objects into a separate space
Arrange objects in a row. Touch each once while counting. Rearrange and check the total.
Moving eight counters into a circle changes the arrangement, not how many counters are present.
Avoid treating faster recitation as more accurate counting. Was any object missed or counted twice?
Use large counters and partner pointing.
Resources
- Maths Puzzle Generator — Choose arithmetic or missing-number questions only when they match the number relationship being explored.
Further reading
Read next
- The last count tells us how many altogether
- Tens and ones: explain what the digits stand for
- Near doubles: find the one-unit adjustment
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