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Hands-On Problem Solving

META
Mathematics›Mathematical Thinking|Ages 5—6|ID: mt_20WfHhnL39

Select and use familiar tools (concrete objects, fingers, ten frames) to help solve a mathematical problem

Mastery Evidence

  • Choose cubes, counters, or fingers to help solve an addition or subtraction problem
  • Use a ten frame to organise objects for counting or comparing
  • Explain why a particular tool (e.g. cubes rather than fingers) was chosen for a given problem

Assessment Prompt

“When [child] is working out a maths problem, do they reach for helpful tools — like using their fingers, counters, or a number line — to support their thinking?”

Prerequisites1

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  • Counting objects to 20 soft

    Counting objects requires choosing appropriate tools (cubes, ten frames)

    • How Many in Total? hard

      Answering 'how many?' requires the cardinality principle

      • One-to-one counting hard

        Cardinality principle builds on one-to-one correspondence — you must count correctly to know the last number tells 'how many'

    • One-to-one counting hard

      Counting objects to answer 'how many?' requires one-to-one correspondence

Unlocks1