Counters and Cards

Material

    • Set of symbols, 1 -10 in black on white background (black on white because for the most part, this is the way it will show up in books and texts).
    • Box of 55 red counters.

Direct aim

To familiarize the child with the separate quantities of each number and to show the odd and even numbers. Remember that the child now knows:

    • the sequence of numbers,
    • the knowledge of how many separate units go to form each number).

Indirect aim

Preparation for the divisibility of numbers.

Age of great interest

About 4 years.

Control of error

The counters are exactly 55 in number, therefore if the exercise is not correct,some counters will be over or some missing!

Teacher’s presentation

Individual-on a table:

  1. The cards are placed at random on the table by the guide.
  2. The teacher shows ‘1’ to the child and places it in the top left-hand corner of the table.
  3. The teacher asks the child for the next number and he finds the number 2, and so on until all the cards have been laid out in sequence. This is his first time dealing with sequence without a control.
  4. The guide places the counters in pairs, under the numbers.
  5. For the odd numbers, centering the last counter between the pair above it suggests that this is a complete number. If you place the counter under the “left” or “right” column of counters suggests something is missing.
  6. After a couple of days the ‘odd’ and ‘even’ numbers may be explained to the child.

Remember! At first-the child lays out the cards in sequence and the guide puts out the counters to show the order and the precision with which to place them.

Exercise 1

The child places them out.

Exercise 2

The child says aloud the odd numbers. The child says aloud the even numbers.