Gather the materials
- Five large paper dots or familiar countable objects
- Two sheets labeled ‘to count’ and ‘counted’
- Numeral cards 1–5 if useful
Choose large materials and supervise their use. Adjust quantity, print size, response method and pace to the learner. A partner may move or record while the learner points or explains.
Teach the sequence
2 minutes
Model a trackable count
Place three dots in a line. Touch or move one dot for each number word: one, two, three. Ask ‘How many altogether?’ and answer ‘Three; the last number tells us the total.’
3 minutes
Count by moving
Give the learner four dots. Move each from the ‘to count’ sheet to ‘counted’ while saying one number per object. If one is counted twice, return to the move-and-count strategy rather than starting a speed drill.
2 minutes
Rearrange, do not add
Spread the same four dots farther apart. Ask whether the total changed and count to check. Point out that no object entered or left the group.
2 minutes
Ask for a set
Ask for three objects from a larger group, then ask how many were chosen. Invite the learner to show how they know using a count or an accessible pointing response.
Adapt the same idea
Provide more support
Use two or three well-spaced objects, count together and provide a partner who moves each object as the learner indicates it. Separate remembering the number sequence from keeping track of the objects.
Extend when ready
Work within the learner’s comfortable range, rearrange the objects and compare two groups by matching one object to another. Larger numbers are an option, not the automatic next demand.
What to observe
- Is each object paired with exactly one number word?
- Can the learner state or indicate the total after counting?
- Do they notice that rearranging the same set does not add objects?
Use these observations to decide what to model next. A brief note about a strategy or a misconception is more useful than simply recording a score.
Home follow-up
Set the table with one spoon for each place. Count the chosen set together and ask for the total without turning mealtime into a timed test.