I was demonstrating Number Talks in some early years classes recently, however, and I quickly realised that while my dinosaur egg subitizing cards were a hit, the fact that they had 6/7/8 dots on them meant that they were too difficult for the classes I was working with. Chatting with the teachers afterwards, I recommended dice games. Rolling dice and beginning to recognise the familiar dot patterns on them is an excellent way to encourage subitising for all children - but especially when children are just beginning to learn to subitize. 

If your class needs practice with early subitising skills, click the link above left for a FREE sample with 2 dice games, as well as a fun Number Recognition listening activity. Like most of the math resource I've been making this year, these are all dinosaur themed (who doesn't love a dinosaur?).

The first dice game in this resource has children roll a single die and trace the correct numeral. Easy, fun counting - but eventually subitising - practice. The second game has children practice adding one to the number they've rolled. Children may well start by counting the dots each roll, but they'll soon progress to recognising the dot patterns and the associated number. 

The listening activity that is also included is always a favourite, and it lets you target both number recognition and listening skills. You call out a number and a color (instructions are given, although you can always make up your own), and  the children have to trace (or colour) that number using the color you've specified. 

If you like these free sample games and the listening activity, the complete (60+ page)resource is available by clicking on the first picture on the left below:

One of the very earliest, simple strategies children learn when they are beginning to add and subtract is to 'count on and back' from a given number. When they are adding, this is a step on from having to count all of the items in both sets. For subtraction, it is a simple way to begin to move away from always needing the concrete objects in front of them (although I definitely make sure the concrete manipulatives are still there to be used - kids need lots and lots of experience with them in order to internalise what they are actually doing when they add and subtract using numerals).

So - while this is not a substitute for lots of hands on practice with concrete objects that they are adding together and taking away from, I've found that using fist numbers gives children an easily accessible way to solve simple addition and subtraction problems. Use along side of lots of concrete practice, I've found it can help get kids excited about their ability to 'do math'.

Here's what we do: If we are solving the following sum: 5 + 1 = , we would put the number '5' in our fist (i.e., make a fist and say 'five'), then put up 1 finger as we count on to the next number ('six'). Thus, 5 + 1 = 6.

When I'm doing this with Primary 1s, we always start with adding on and taking away 1, referring both to number lines and using concrete manipulatives while we also count on our fist. That way, they have the chance to connect this early computation strategy with the concrete experience of adding and taking away. Once they have mastered adding on 1, we move to adding on 2. So 5 + 2 would be solved by 'putting '5' in our fist' (e.g., making a fist and saying 'five'), then counting on '6, 7' as we raise 1, then 2 fingers.

I always make a big deal about NOT raising any fingers when we say our fist number - that is the number we are starting with, so we haven't added anything yet - so no fingers allowed! The kids always find this quite funny...but they tend to remember.

Check out the JUMP teachers' materials for a fuller explanation (you'll need to register, but registration is free and well worth a few minutes of your time).