Provide students with a card from Resource 1: Numeral cards attached to a loop of string. Students wear the card like a necklace.

Note: If the number of students in the class exceeds 21, consider adding digits beyond 21 or creating a second copy of some numerals that target the needs of your students.

Cut up and shuffle a second set of Resource 1: Numeral cards and Resource 2: Number representations cards.

Students form a circle standing up. Hold one card up at a time and ask the student with the matching numeral or quantity to sit down. The last student standing can be the person who shows the cards in a second round of the game.

Play a different version of the game by adapting the criteria. Ask students to sit down if they have one more or one less than the displayed numeral or quantity.

Read the first page of the story and identify the one character, Frances. Read the second page. Ask students to describe what happened to the number of characters. 

Use student responses to identify that one new character was added to the story and now there are 2 characters. Ask students to continue to notice who else is added to the story and what happens to the number of characters.

Continue to read the story to the end. Ask students:

• What did you notice?

• What do you wonder?

Use student responses to develop a shared question that invites the investigation of how many characters were in Frances’ house by the end of the story.

Provide students with writing materials and ask students to record each new character introduced in the story with diagrams or drawings.

Read each page of the story again, pausing after the introduction of new characters to allow students time to record.

Ask students to use their diagrams to find the total number of characters in Frances’ house at the end of the story.

Ask students to share the total they have counted and use ‘Talk moves’ to compare and share reasoning. Select some students to share the methods they used to record each new character and count to find the total. Use student work samples to discuss the different methods to record information about quantities with drawings.

Explain how mathematical tools can be used to record quantities. Introduce 2 ten-frames and magnetic counters or a rekenrek. Ask students how the tool could be used to record each new character.

Read the story once more. Add a magnetic counter to the ten-frames or move a bead on a rekenrek, as each new character is introduced. Students can use the final reading of the book to check the diagrams they have recorded and adjust as necessary.

Use the mathematical tool to establish the final quantity and ask students to compare this result with their diagrams. Explain that mathematicians use mathematical tools and review the way problems are recorded to check the accuracy of their work.