Please note: This site contains links to websites not controlled by the Australian Government or ESA. More information here.

Go to website

Number: Taking handfuls

This sequence of 6 tasks explores relationships between numbers 1 to 20 through subitising, comparison, and using 5 and 10 as benchmarks. Students organise collections and use subitisable patterns to help count the total in their collection. Students also compare their collection with a friend to see who has more and who has fewer, and they learn that to compare collections efficiently a common unit is needed. They build their sense of number and describe numbers in relation to 10. Professional learning for teachers is integrated throughout the sequence.

Additional details
Year level(s) Foundation
Audience Teacher
Purpose Teaching resource
Format Web page
Teaching strategies and pedagogical approaches Mathematics investigation
Keywords benchmark numbers, subitise, counting, grouping

Curriculum alignment
Curriculum connections Numeracy
Strand and focus Number
Topics Operating with number
AC: Mathematics (V9.0) content descriptions
AC9MFN01

Name, represent and order numbers including zero to at least 20, using physical and virtual materials and numerals


AC9MFN02
Recognise and name the number of objects within a collection up to 5 using subitising

AC9MFN03
Quantify and compare collections to at least 20 using counting and explain or demonstrate reasoning

AC9MFN04
Partition and combine collections up to 10 using part-part-whole relationships and subitising to recognise and name the parts
Numeracy progression Counting processes (CP2)

Copyright details
Organisation

reSolve Maths by Inquiry
Copyright

© Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment 2021. Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0.

Related resources