Gather the materials
- Five large paper counters
- A sheet folded into two spaces
- Paper for a drawing; numeral cards if helpful
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
Establish the whole
Count five counters together and name the total. Keep all five visible. Tell a short story: ‘These five are going to sit in two places.’
3 minutes
Model one split
Move two counters to one side and three to the other. Count both parts and then all five. Say ‘Two and three make five’ before writing 2 + 3 = 5, if written symbols are appropriate.
4 minutes
Find another arrangement
Invite a different split, such as one and four. Ask what changed and what stayed the same. Record with a picture or spoken explanation; writing the equation is not the only valid response.
2 minutes
Check a hidden part
For a ready learner, keep three visible and cover the other two with paper. Ask what is under the cover and how the learner knows. Uncover and check; otherwise keep all parts visible.
Adapt the same idea
Provide more support
Begin with a whole of three, use an adult who moves counters on instruction and keep both parts visible. Offer sentence frames such as ‘I have __ here and __ here.’
Extend when ready
Find all splits systematically, including zero and five when meaningful. Compare 3 + 2 with 2 + 3 and explain that the parts have exchanged places while the total stays five.
What to observe
- Does the learner preserve the whole while moving its parts?
- Can they describe or show both parts?
- Is the hidden-part step supported by reasoning or only a guess?
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
Draw five fruit shapes and circle them into two groups. Describe the parts with a grown-up, then circle them a different way.