Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to help your child to learn the number facts to 5 and to 10.
Link to Number Framework:
Number Facts, Stages 0-3
What you need:
10 haricot beans, small stones or similar. Paint these on one side using spray paint, nail polish or acrylic paint.
What to do:
Work with 5 objects at first until your child can give the combinations to five very quickly. Then use 10 objects.
- Take 5 beans. Scatter the beans – some will land with the coloured side up.
- Talk about the combination. Eg. For 3 coloured beans and 2 plain beans:
3 and 2 make 5
There are 3 coloured beans, how many to make 5?
I’ve got the 3 coloured beans, you’ve got the 2 plain beans. How many altogether? - Ask your child to show you the number fact using the fingers on one hand. For example, to show 3 coloured beans and 2 plain beans put 3 fingers up and 2 fingers down.
- Scatter the beans again, talk about the new combinations and ask your child to show these on their fingers.
Work with 10 beans when your child is confident with 5 beans. When using fingers to show the number facts to 10, fill up one hand first.
What to expect your child to do:
- Instantly recall the number facts to 5 by the end of year 1 and to 10 by the end of year 2.
- By the end of year 1 make the links between combinations within 5: 1+4, 3+2, 2+3 … and the fingers on one hand.
- By the end of year 2 make the links between combinations within 10: 6+4, 8+2, 3+7 … and the fingers on both hands.
Related Māori vocab:
| addition fact | meka tāpiri |
| number facts to five | ngā meka tauhono o te rima |
| number facts to ten | ngā meka tauhono o te tekau |