Counters With a sorting focus
• NUMBER
• Sorting and classifying
Counters do not have to be round plastic discs. Students can count anything, including natural and manufactured materials. Many counters have a dual purpose, that of counting and sorting and classifying. Transport counters or animal counters are examples of counters that may be sorted according to various criteria, such as colour, size, type of animal/vehicle.
Counters (Sorting) Language
Mathematical Language
In order to sort and classify, students will need to know colour and shape words and the names of the various counters. For example, when using transport counters students would need to have a common name for each counter: bus, car, plane, helicopter, train and tug boat. The student can then refer to the red tugboat.
Using Counters with a sorting focus
The transport counters could be sorted in colour groupings, that is, all of the red counters, green counters and so on could be sorted into groups. Each different type of vehicle could be sorted into a group, eg helicopters, tug boats. Two criteria could be applied to the sorting, that is, yellow trains.
Counters may be used as objects to count by asking, “how many planes are there?”
Vegetable Counters
Aquatic Counters
Transport Counters
Dinosaur Counters
Typical Classroom Requirements
class set:
• Several different sets of counters will be required.
Support and Complementary Materials
