CARDINAL NUMBER 

Formal approaches to the teaching of number tend to focus exclusively on one to one relationships. 

This can often result in children having to count on fingers to calculate the answer to a problem. They are unable to ‘see’ numbers as a whole group. 

Through FREE PLAY, DIRECTED ACTIVITIES and TOUCH GAMES children naturally view numbers as complete groupings. 

They will know that green is equivalent to three whites while  perceiving it to be a ‘number’ in its own right. 

The concept of cardinal number has been naturally acquired through play. 

Having a firm grasp of CARDINAL NUMBER  helps children develop the ability to SUBSTITUTE ONE TERM FOR ANOTHER – crucial to understanding in Math. 

NUMBER BOND GAMES can consolidate this ability and give children a firm grasp of number bonds even before ‘number names’ are introduced.

Children view green (3) and red (2) as complete objects (groups) that combine to make another complete object (group), yellow (5):

    g + r = y

    3 + 2 = 5

and not as separate objects combined: 

   (w + w + w) + (w + w) = 5w

   (1 + 1 + 1) + (1 + 1) = 5

(Don’t worry – we will deal with brackets later) 

Choose one of the rods and ask  children to name two rods that end to  end will be the same length as it.

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