Mathematics K–6 · Kindergarten
Seeing how many without counting: dot cards and ten-frames
Number and algebra
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The idea
Small collections up to 5 can be recognised in an instant from their arrangement, and a ten-frame shows a number and how many more make 10 at the same time.
Safety card
Hazards
- counters are a choking hazard for young children
Controls
- counters are counted out and back in, and the activity is supervised
Note
No chemicals or heat are used, so the NSW Department of Education Chemical Safety in Schools package is not needed; ordinary classroom supervision under the school's usual risk management.
What you need
- 20 dot cards: 1 to 5 dots in dice patterns and 1 to 5 dots in scattered arrangements
- 10 ten-frame cards showing 1 to 10 counters filled from the left
- 20 two-colour counters and a blank ten-frame mat
- a stopwatch or a phone timer
How to do it
- The adult shows a dot card for about one second and hides it. The child says how many dots. Show the card again to check.
- Sort the cards into two piles after each turn: I just saw it, and I had to count. Do all 20 cards.
- Show a ten-frame card for one second. The child says the number shown and how many empty spaces there are.
- The child builds a number on the blank ten-frame with counters, then a partner says the number and the number needed to make 10.
- Repeat the 20 dot cards on another day and count how many moved from the counting pile to the seeing pile.
What you should see
Cards with 1, 2 or 3 dots can be named at a glance in any arrangement. Cards with 4 and 5 dots are easier to name at a glance in a dice pattern than when scattered, which is what the two piles record. On a ten-frame showing 7, the 3 empty spaces sit together as a group, so 7 and 3 more to make 10 can be read from the frame. Comparing the two piles on the second day with the first shows which cards have moved from counting to seeing.
What changes
This activity lists no variables to change, measure and keep the same.
Common misconceptions
Each of these ideas is wrong, and the activity is a chance to test it.
- You always have to count from one to know how many there are.
- Dots spread out are more than the same dots close together.
Curriculum references
The NSW syllabus outcomes and Australian Curriculum v9 codes this activity supports. They are references, not a verified or complete curriculum alignment.
- Mathematics K-10 Syllabus (2022), NSW Education Standards AuthorityMAE-RWN-01MAE-CSQ-02MAO-WM-01
- Australian Curriculum v9AC9MFN02AC9MFN04
Sources
The pages the author read to write this activity.