Strengthening Number Sense at Home
Subitising
The following tips and information will support you to practice the advice in the video to strengthen your child’s number sense at home.
What is subitising?
Subitising is the ability to visually recognise how many objects are in a small group without counting. For example, knowing that someone is holding up 3 fingers without counting each finger.
Practising this skill at home will help your child to recognise small groups quickly without the need to count. Subitising usually works best with small numbers – up to 5, and sometimes up to 10.
Here are some easy and fun ways to help your child develop their understanding of subitising. Encourage your child to subitise first, then check by counting.
Tips for at Home
Dice games: Roll a dice and have your child call out the number of dots as quickly as possible. Then count together to check. Roll again.
How many fingers?: When out walking, hold up 1-5 (or up to 10) fingers and thumbs for 1-2 seconds, and ask your child to tell you how many fingers they can see.
Snack peek: Place up to 5 pieces of snack food (for example, grapes, crackers) on a plate without your child seeing. Let your child look briefly, then cover it. Ask ‘how many did you see?’ Reveal the pieces and count together to check.
Plate patterns: Place up to 10 items on a plate, using familiar patterns. For example, 8 buttons could be arranged in 2 sets of 4 that use the pattern shown on standard dice. Let your child look for 3 seconds, then cover it. Ask ‘how many did you see’, or ‘how many altogether?’ Show the items again and count together to check.
Missing eggs: As you use eggs, show the egg carton to your child and give them 2 seconds to look at the number remaining without counting. Ask them, ‘how many eggs are left’ or how many have been used?’
Tips for at the Supermarket
Bunches of bananas: Hold up a bunch of bananas for a few seconds and ask your child how many there were before counting. Count together afterwards to check if they were right.
Yoghurt tubs: Show your child a packet of yoghurt tubs quickly. Is it a pack of 2, 4, 6 or 12 yoghurts? Ask them, ‘would this be enough for everyone in our family?’
Tips for at the Park
It’s a handful: Hide up to 5 small objects (for example, stones) in your hand. Open your hand briefly for 1-2 seconds then close it. Ask ‘how many did you see?’ Open your hand and count together to check.
Licensed under CC BY: © iStock.com/Arjini
Knock them down skittles: Watch Everyday maths - around the house to see how to set up a game of skittles using empty plastic bottle. Play your own game of skittles and have your child call out how many bottles are left standing after round. They can show the number on their fingers too.
Further information
To access other videos and tip sheets in this series as well as further tips, information and links for parents and carers, see: Mathematics and numeracy at home. For further information about the Victorian Mathematics Ambassadors, see: Victorian Mathematics Ambassadors. For further information on supporting your child’s education, see: Supporting your child's education | vic.gov.au. Thank you for watching the subitising video with the Victorian Mathematics Ambassadors, Pat and Em, and Tootgarook Primary School: https://www.vic.gov.au/mathematics-and-numeracy-home.