25 minutes · AC9MFN02 (subitising 1–3) and AC9MFN01 (representing 1–3, partial) · educator review pending
Success today: A child recognises a grouped collection of 1, 2 or 3 without counting one by one, names it and can remake it.
Prepare: Hand-drawn dot cards for 1, 2 and 3 in varied layouts; three large counters per child; numeral cards 1–3. Keep cards uncluttered and dots equal-sized.
- Notice, 3 min. Show a familiar dice-like two-dot arrangement. Ask, “What did you see?” Say, “Sometimes we can see a small amount all at once. We call that subitising.”
- Model, 5 min. Reveal one, two, then three dots for about three seconds each. Think aloud: “I saw two dots together, so I know there are two. I did not need to count each dot.” Hold each card longer afterward to check the amount together.
- Play: night-sky window, 10 min. One partner briefly uncovers a 1–3 “stars” card; the other says or selects the number and makes the same constellation with counters. Swap. Variation: three drum taps can prompt a make-three response, but record that as auditory quantity work, not proof of visual subitising; an accessible raised-dot card can be explored by touch without a time limit.
- Independent try, 4 min. Show new arrangements of 2 and 3. Ask, “How many did you see? What did the group look like?” Let the learner recreate it before checking by counting.
- Check and close, 3 min. Show one unfamiliar three-dot layout, then one two-dot layout. Record immediate recognition, counting, or uncertainty separately; do not mark counting as failure in general number sense.
If a child always counts: Let them count to verify, then put the same three dots close together and ask them to look for the whole group on a second viewing. Do not race or penalise the child for needing more viewing time.
Access routes: Enlarge dots, reduce visual clutter, use a tactile three-position card, or let a partner describe a grouping before the learner selects a numeral. Note when the route changes the construct: tactile or described grouping shows number recognition but may not independently establish visual subitising.
Record: 1, 2, 3 recognised without one-by-one count; layout sensitivity; response route used.