Counting sounds

Ok mathematicians, before we get started, you'll need a pencil, your maths workbook, or some paper and your imagination. So if you don't have those things yet, just click pause here. Go get a pencil and your workbook and even warm up your brain if you need and come back.

OK, good job. Alright, then mathematicians, it is time to warm up our mathematical brains and our ears. Sounds interesting, doesn't it? OK, get your eyeballs and your ears ready to go for this challenge. Here we go, listen and watch. OK mathematicians, write down how many dots you think there are. OK, and can you draw what you think my collection looks like? (clap, clap) Hm, hm, 'cause there was a clap sound for each dot as it came onto the screen. If you need to, you can click pause and go back and listen again.

Alright, let's have a look together. Are you ready? OK? (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap) Ok mathematicians, how did you go? Did you hear the 13 claps? And I wonder how different your representation of 13 might have been than mine. Hmm, 'cause I have 1 ten and three more, but you might have drawn yours in heaps of different ways. I know it's amazing.

OK, let's try again but this time let's go backwards. So when you hear the claps this time it means one dot is being taken away. Let's go. (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap). OK, write down how many dots you think are left. And draw what you think my collection looks like. I know,

OK, let's have a look together. So we started with 13 (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap). Did you have 3? Would you like to have a look at that one more time? I know I'd like to see it go all the way to 0 ready? Let's watch and can you say how many dots you see as you're watching?

Alright so over to you. 13 (clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap). OK mathematicians over to you. Can you make up your own counting challenge that involves listening and thinking? Have fun.

So what's some of the mathematics here? Yeah, so we can imagine a collection getting smaller, taking one away each time to help us count backwards, look, here's nine and if I take one away, there's eight, and if I take one away again, seven and if I take one away another one six, and if I take away another one, I get five yes, so counting backwards or talking about the number before is the same as taking one away. And if we link that to a visual representation, sometimes that helps us remember or think about or problem solve what is the number before and how to count backwards?

We also know that mathematicians say counting words in a particular order and that mathematicians match each counting word with one object. OK, mathematicians have a lovely day and have fun playing with counting in this way. Until next time.