Skills / Ages 5 to 8 / Math
Show three
Making a group of three as two and one more, counting it by touching, and knowing the last number said is how many. Matching it to the mark 3.
Why it matters
The next lesson names four as three and one more, so three has to be a group your child can make and trust. Three is also a group small enough to see all at once, which is the first step toward knowing a number without counting it.
What it looks like when your child can do it
- Asked for three crackers, your child counts out one, two, three and hands them over.
- With three spoons set in a short row, your child says three before touching any of them.
- After three blocks are pushed into a pile, your child still says three.
How to teach it at the kitchen table
- 01
Build three from two and one more
Put down a pair of spoons. Add one more spoon and say, two and one more makes three. That is how the book names it.
- 02
One touch, one number
Your child touches each spoon and says one, two, three. One new number for each touch. The last number said, three, is how many.
- 03
Show three at a glance
Set three buttons in a short straight row, the line of three the book uses later for a quick look. Then try a little triangle. Three is small enough that the eye takes it in at once. Show it, cover it with your hand, and ask how many.
- 04
Move them and ask again
Push the three buttons into a line, then a pile. Ask how many each time. It is still three. Three is how many, not how they sit.
- 05
Match it to the mark 3
Write the mark 3. Point from the group to the mark and back. When you see 3, think of two and one more.
You will need: Buttons, spoons or snack crackers (buttons are small enough to choke on, so stay at the table) · Three cups · Paper and a pencil for the mark 3
Try it together
Try 1
Put two crackers on a plate. Ask, if I add one more, how many will there be? Then add it.
Listen for Three. Aim for three said before counting, then let your child count to check.
Try 2
Set three buttons in a straight row, show them for about two seconds, then cover them with your hand.
Listen for Three, said without counting. If your child needs to count, uncover them and let them. That is fine at first.
Try 3
Set out three cups. Hand your child a few spoons and ask for one spoon in each cup. Then ask how many spoons went in.
Listen for Three. One spoon for each cup, and three cups means three spoons. Watch that no cup gets two.
Try 4
Ask your child to bring you three socks.
Listen for Three socks, no more. Watch for the stop after three.
Watch for
- Touching one thing twice, or saying two numbers for one touch. Slow the hand down and say each number as the finger lands.
If it is not there yet
- Back up to two. Make pairs with shoes and socks until two is certain, then add one more.
- Count big things spread well apart, like three cups, so each touch is clearly one.
A few days of this is normal, and it is time well spent. The lesson will still be there, and it will go faster.
Where this skill comes up
Zig and Zag Count to Twenty · Lesson 5
Four
Needs it because four is named as three and one more.