COUNTING IN THE FOUNDATION PHASE - Mathematics …

1 42 COUNTING IN THE FOUNDATION PHASE Valerie Ramsingh Gauteng Department of Education MOTIVATION FOR RUNNING WORKSHOP We are still finding a large number of learners who continue to draw separate tallies/sticks when they count, even for large numbers. As learners progress through the FOUNDATION PHASE they are expected to move from concrete to the more abstract methods of COUNTING which result in arriving at the solution to a problem more quickly and accurately. Good COUNTING strategies produce a better understanding of how numbers and the number system works and reinforces the foundations for many Mathematics concepts as opposed to uttering numbers in a repetitive, meaningless, sing-song fashion.

2 It is hoped that participants of this workshop will teach the strategies on offer to their learners and in that way improve the COUNTING and computational skills of learners in their classes. DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT OF WORKSHOP: In this workshop participants will be introduced to a variety of strategies that learners could make use of in order to increase their fluency in COUNTING and computation. They will be involved in activities that enable them to gain greater understanding of the various COUNTING strategies available and be able to apply these to the Assessment Standards in the PHASE .

3 No. Time frames Activity 1 20 minutes Introduction involving a variety of COUNTING activities to be done by participants and discussion of the strategies they used. 2 35 minutes Discuss COUNTING techniques/strategies and how these apply to assessment Standards 3 20 minutes Games and activities leading to Mental Maths 4 25 minutes Small Group Activity: Complete table on suitable COUNTING and mental maths activities for each grade 5 10 minutes Feedback and Discussion 6 5 minutes Tips for making COUNTING fun 7.

4 5 minutes Conclusion 43 Table to be completed for Activity 4 grade R grade 1 grade 2 grade 3 Skills/ strategies Number range 0 10 Number range 0-100 Number range 0-200 Number range -1000 1 Counts forwards and backwards What comes before/after 4? What comes before/after 98? 2 Count in 10s What ten comes before/after 140? 3 Count forwards and backwards. Count in 1s, 2s, 5s. How many numbers are there between 34 and 26?

5 How many numbers that can be divided by five are there between 245 and 305? 4 Count forwards and backwards. Order numbers Use cardboard to make number cards. Give learners a pack of randomly selected cards. Learners put cards in order from small to big or big to small, as fast as they can. Do as a speed competition. 5 Put larger number first and count on 2 + 11 = 3 + 398 = 6 Word problem (based on sharing/ grouping) I had six apples.

6 I gave my friends two each. How many friends did I give apples to? Forty boys eat two sweets each. How many sweets do they eat altogether? 7 Calculate elapsed time in hours and minutes. Count in 5s. It is five o'clock. What time will it be in: 5 minutes? 10 minutes? 30 minutes? 45 minutes? I left for the shop at five to three. It took me 20 minutes to get there. At what time did I reach the shop? 44 grade R grade 1 grade 2 grade 3 Skills/ strategies Number range 0 10 Number range 0-100 Number range 0-200 Number range 0-1000 8 Addition and subtraction Tables (rapid recall) I think of a number, then take away 7.

7 That gives me 2. What is my number? I think of a number, then take away 32. That gives me 17. What is my number? Number range 0 - 5: Number range 0-10 Number range 0-20 Number range 0-50 9 Vocabulary for Mental Maths Listen carefully and answer as fast as you can: What is 3 plus 1? I have 3 marbles in this hand and 2 in the other hand 1. Which hand has more/ less? 2. How many more/less? 3. How many are there altogether? I have 5 blocks. I take away 2. How many are left? Listen carefully and answer as fast as you can: Add 7 and 3 What is the total of 2 and 6?

8 What is 4 plus 5? What is the sum of 1and 8? What must I add to 3 to make 9? How many are there altogether? Take 5 from 8 6 take away 0 Subtract 4 from 9 How many more than 6 is 8? What is the difference between 10 and 2? Listen carefully and answer as fast as you can: Add 17 and 3 What is the total of 12 and 6 What is 14 plus 5? What is the sum of 11 and 8? What must I add to 13 to make 19? Take 15 from 18 16 take away 0 Subtract 14 from 19 How many more than 16 is 18? What is the difference between 20 and 2? I think of a number, I add 13.

9 The answer is 18. What Listen carefully and answer as fast as you can: Add 47 and 3 What is the total of 42 and 6? What is 44 plus 5? What is the sum of 41 and 8? What must I add to 43 to make 49? Take 45 from 48 46 take away 0 Subtract 45 I think of a number, I add 3. The answer is 8. What is my number? is my number? 44 from 49 How many more than 46 is 48? What is the difference between 40 and 2? I think of a number, I add 43. The answer is 48. What is my number?