Purpose
The purpose of this activity is to support students in counting fluently forwards and backwards in units of one or ten. They should be able to start with any two-digit number and connect counting in tens or ones with changes in the quantity.
Required Resource Materials
- Place value materials: individual items grouped into tens, such as BeaNZ in film canisters, ice block sticks bundled with rubber bands (hundreds with hair ties), or a paper form such as Place Value People. Bundled materials are important as they allow partitioning and combining without the need for “trading” tens blocks for ones.
- Calculators
- Use a place value board to organise the materials in columns and support calculation strategies. Three-column and four-column place value boards are available here.