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Counting Mat

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Relevant and up-to-date teaching resources are being moved to Tāhūrangi (tahurangi.education.govt.nz). 
When all identified resources have been successfully moved, this website will close. We expect this to be in June 2024. 
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For more information visit https://tahurangi.education.govt.nz/updates-to-nzmaths

Purpose:

You can help the child learn to count on or back from any number to 25.

What you need:

  • Number mat (PDF, 48KB). You can print this off or make your own.
  • Small objects for counters such as buttons, shells or stones.

What to do:

Place the mat on the floor.

Throw a button, shell or stone onto the mat.

The child counts on from the number the stone has landed on. e.g. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 ..

The child counts back from the number e.g. 23, 22, 21, 20 …

The child can give the number that comes after that number e.g 11, 12

The child can give the number that comes before that number e.g 25, 24

What to expect your child to do:

  • To be able to count forwards from any number to 25 without hesitation.
  • To be able to count backwards from any number to 25 without hesitation.
  • To instantly say the number before and the number after a given number to 25.

Variations:

  • Use 2 counters or buttons. The child starts counting at the smallest number and stops at the largest or the child can count backwards from the largest number and stops at the smallest number. 
  • Count in other languages.
  • You can make a met using the back of a plastic tablecloth, piece of plastic or scrap of vinyl.
  • Make large A3 copies and use clear adhesive plastic to laminate them.

He Kupu Māori:

eleven tekau mā tahi
twelve tekau mā rua
twenty rua tekau
twenty one rua tekau mā tahi
count forward tatau whakamua
count backward tatau whakamuri

He Whakawhitinga Kōrero:

  • Whiua te kōhatu kia tau ki te papatau. (Toss the stone so it lands on the number mat.)
  • Kua tau te kōhatu ki tēhea tau? (What number has the stone landed on?)
  • Ko te aha tēnei tau? (What is this number?)
  • Kōrerohia mai tēnei tau. (Say this number.)
  • Tīmata i tēnei tau, tatau whakamua. (Start at this number, count forward.)
  • Tīmata i tēnei tau, tatau whakamuri. (Start at this number, count backwards.)
  • He aha te tau i mua i te tekau mā waru? (What number comes before eighteen?)
  • He aha te tau i muri i te tekau mā iwa? (What number comes after nineteen?)

Download a file of this activity:

PDF (168KB)