We are learning about how to show and talk about quantity. When we were sorting, we wanted to talk about which group had more or less. Numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 are numbers we learn to just recognize without counting, no matter if we are talking about a numeral, a word, a set, a tally, a cube face, counters on a 5-frame or fingers on our hand.
Years ago I would have wanted to teach and test this knowledge with fill-in-the-blanks sheets, flashcards, or pencil and paper assessment tasks. Now I find the children can tell us more about what they know when they have chosen play materials and have picked their tables for working at. They can relate everything they know about quantity back to the number line, which is something we want them to do all the way through school.
Have a look at our work and play in action, to see how the children are so eager to show what they are doing at math centres, and the kind of counting they are doing.
Years ago I would have wanted to teach and test this knowledge with fill-in-the-blanks sheets, flashcards, or pencil and paper assessment tasks. Now I find the children can tell us more about what they know when they have chosen play materials and have picked their tables for working at. They can relate everything they know about quantity back to the number line, which is something we want them to do all the way through school.
Have a look at our work and play in action, to see how the children are so eager to show what they are doing at math centres, and the kind of counting they are doing.