Just like frequent opportunities to read sight words support the development of the skill, so too, do frequent opportunities to subtitize number. In addition to having several kinds of dice and dominoes in the classroom, other materials with small numbers of objects should be available so children can practice. Begin with groupings of 1 to 5 as these will provide the foundation for subitizing larger groups using part/whole understandings as well as composing and decomposing number.

This memory game has small groups of objects with matching numeral cards.  Start with 1-5 and put the rest away for later.

Even though I don’t like flash cards for young children for any reason I think that these cards could be used in interesting ways.

So if I were to create one new tool for this school year, I would create a set of number cards, and laminate them. I would make them out of large 5 X 8 white index cards and number them from 1-20 (more if I had more than 20 children in the class).

These can be used throughout the day for all sorts of classroom activities, from lining up (shuffle the cards, distribute and let the children figure out where they are in the line) to dividing into groups (odds and evens).  Clearly, the youngest children would not be ready for odds and evens, but used appropriately, the use of the cards can follow the development of the children, rather than the other way around.

Start small.  Begin by handing out the cards and help the children identify their number.  If they don’t recognize the numeral, try and see if they can count the dots (pips).  I created these dots to replicate the pips on a die, but you can also put them in lines up to 10 which is a strategy for supporting Base 10 understandings.  This format can also provide additional cues to odd and even because you can see if the dot has a partner (even) or if it stands along (odd).

You can add other visual clues, such as color.  Make all of the even numbers shades of blues and greens, and all of the odd numbers shades of reds and oranges.  Once distributed, the children can divide themselves into groups based on numbers or colors, or both.  This mingle and sort activity can be used daily, during large group time, transitions, or taking turns.

As the children get older (older 4s and 5s) use another set of cards with tally marks and Roman numerals.

Below is a picture of a traditional “Shut the Door” game which asks children to roll the dice, count the pips (the dots on the dice) and then “shut” the numbered door shown on the dice.  When all of the doors are shut, the game is over.  There are ways to play this game individually or with others.  I especially like this one because it is a noncompetitive game that asks children to work together in order to meet the desired goal (all of the doors shut).

This version is played by as many as 4 children at once.  When children engage in this together, the play moves from being cooperative to competitive which is a natural progression as children get older.

It is pretty big just like the other one, but this one only goes from 0-10.  It offers a different set of mathematical possibilities because of its design differences.  You can see that this one has large numerals and a corresponding number of objects next to each.

There are aspects of this number line that might make more sense to young children.  It only goes up to 10, but the inclusion of “0” complicated matters.  Children generally learn to count beginning with “1” not “0”.  It is also hard to illustrate nothing as the absence of objects is supposed to indicate. You and I can understand that the empty space around the number “0” indicates nothing, but I don’t think young children will.

If I were to make a jumbo number line for my classroom, I would take aspects of this one and aspects of the other, put those together to create the perfect (and appropriate) prototype.

Keep the large, easy-to-read numbers but begin with 1.  Make the number line 6 units long and then add-on units as children develop stronger number sense.  Provide other context clues, ideally removable, so the line can change as needed.  It might be nice to have objects, like in the example above, but it might also be nice to have “pips” like dots on a die, to indicate the number.  It would be cool if the units could be arranged to create a circle or to go around a corner.  That way, if space was an issue, the line could be used on an area rug.

What would you do to create the perfect prototype?

Dominos were originally designed as an adult game with versions like Muggins, Mexican Train or Five-Up. Over the years, people have made up their own games using dominos, just like playing cards.  For generations, dominos have been a family favorite around the world.

I have written several times about dominos in the past; here, here and here. Today, I want to show you some very simple dominos designed with very young children in mind.

This set is about as simple as you can get.  The pieces are large enough for small, chubby hands, they are sturdily made, and come in a box.  There are not too many of them but enough to go around.  Each domino has two dots (pips) with one or 2 colors.  The colors are also textured to add another dimension.

One of the earliest skills sets that children are thinking about is “same and different.” While playing with them, ask the children if the pip colors are the same or different.  You can then ask if they can find the “same” domino.  Set them up so the same colors touch one another, but I wouldn’t expect toddlers to do the same.  Older infants can simply put them in the box and take them out of the box (or in the mouth or out of the mouth:).  They may even pile them up and knock them down.

Yes, dominos are for infants and toddlers too.

Even very young children could roll one of these die and, with help, count the pips to find out what number it is.  If you have three children in your group, each one could roll the die, tell their number, and put themselves in order based on that number.  Here is a nice lesson plan that uses dice for counting.

These dice are a bit different.  Rather than pips, they have the number written on each side.  These too are interesting- especially if children are working on identifying integers rather than counting.

Different materials support different learning goals and create different learning outcomes.  Yeah for dice!