- Finger Patterns and Spatial patterns are used to develop strategies for structuring numbers to 10 and eventually 20.
- Facile use of partitions and combination to 5, then 10 and then 20 assist the child in mental computations.
- Children use fingers in many different ways to assist with partitions and combinations that support the development of more sophisticated arithmetical strategies,
Here are some examples of children using finger patterns:
Bunny Ears – can’t forget bunny ears!
If they get tired of bunny ears i get them to hide their hands behind their back or under the table. We then say, “Ready, steady, go!” and then all show off our finger patterns together and then talk about them.
Beads strings are a great resource.
I get the children to make them to help them understand the structure of 100 (100 ones, 10 tens, 1 hundred). We use 10 of each colour to make them. We use them for counting forwards and backwards (the change of colour helps with crossing decades). As the count they see the relationships of the numbers with the tens.
I also have a set of bead strings with 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10.
We use these to combine and partition numbers to 10.
Of course an abacus is a great resource too!