Growth Point 0
Counting Growth Points activities
The tasks listed on the following pages are rich tasks from various sources that may be used with multi-level groups or students who are working at a particular level.
0. Not apparent
Not yet able to state the sequence of number names to 20.
The activities in this sequence focus on building an understanding of numbers and number sequences to 10 or 20.
Each activity can be adapted for the particular number range students are working towards.
Teddy bear match
Materials: Two large pieces of identical wrapping paper with a single, repeated, simple design on it (e.g. teddy bears). Laminate one sheet of the paper. Cut the other into the individual designs and laminate them. Stick a small piece of velcro onto the back of each shape, and onto the uncut sheet.
Activity: Students simply match each shape onto the uncut paper. As skills develop, students can count the number of teddy bears.
Related key ideas: Quantity, one-to-one principle, stable-order principle, cardinality principle.
Farm play
Materials: Activity sheet, animal stamps.
Activity: Students use animal stamps to stamp one animal per paddock. As skills develop, students can count the number of animals.
Related key ideas: Quantity, one-to-one principle, stable-order principle, cardinality principle.
Dial my number
Materials: Old mobile phone or mobile phone template, whiteboard.
Activity: Teacher records five numbers that are sequenced (e.g. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) on the board, then the group reads the number sequence to the student who will dial the number sequence on their phone. Students can role play speaking to someone before ‘hanging up’ and passing onto the next student. Teacher checks to ensure that the student is ‘dialling’ the correct digits.
Related key ideas: Pattern.
Memory
Materials: Two sets of cards with numerals 1 to 10, one set red, one set blue.
Activity: Students play Memory with the two sets of cards.
Related key ideas: Quantity.
Peg boxes
Materials: Ten containers numbered 1 to 10, pegs.
Activity: Students peg the corresponding number of pegs on a container. Partner to check for accuracy.
Related key ideas: Quantity, one-to-one principle, stable-order principle, cardinality principle, conservation of number.
Chicken feathers
Materials: Ten pegs with feathers, one cardboard chicken
Activity: Children sing ‘Ten Little Chickens’ (to the tune of ‘Ten Little Indians’). As they sing, students peg feathers to the tail of the cardboard chicken.
Related key ideas: Quantity, one-to-one principle, stable-order principle, cardinality principle, conservation of number.
Sorting sticks
Materials: Ten sticks of increasing length, numbered from 1 to 10, shortest to longest.
Activity: Student orders sticks in increasing length and will then find corresponding numbers, counting from 1 to 10. Students respond when teacher asks for items (e.g. ‘Pass me stick number 4’).
Related key ideas: Quantity, conservation of number, conservation of number.
Step up
Materials: One single Unifix cube, one tower of 15 Unifix cubes, Unifix cubes, cards numbered 1 to 15.
Activity: Students begin with a single Unifix cube, and then continue to make steps (e.g. towers with 2, 3, 4 cubes to build a staircase to the 15-cube tower). Students then match the numeral card with the corresponding tower.
Related key ideas: Quantity, one-to-one principle, stable-order principle, cardinality principle, conservation of number, ordinal principle.
Who lives here?
Materials: Ten houses numbered 11 to 20. Ten teddy bears numbered 11 to 20.
Activity: Student matches numbered teddy bears to corresponding home. Teacher to question (e.g. ‘Who lives next door to Teddy 16?’).
Related key ideas: Quantity, conservation of number, ordinal principle.
Numerals or letters
Materials: Activity sheet, animal stamps
Activity: Students use animal stamps to stamp one animal per paddock. As skills develop, students can count the number of animals.
Related key ideas: Quantity, one-to-one principle, stable-order principle, cardinality principle.
