# Day 58 — Make groups of three

**25 minutes · AC9MFN06 (partial) · educator review pending**

**Success:** Child makes groups of exactly three from nine counters, identifies three complete groups and checks all nine are accounted for.

**Prepare:** nine counters, three or more ring/rectangle group spaces, numeral `3`, S04 and optional S09 from [print aids](print-aids.md). Use movable tactile boundaries if needed.

1. **Retrieve, 3 min.** Show S03's two recipient mats and one spare. Ask, “Yesterday, did we know the number of mats or the size of each group?” Answer: two recipient mats.
2. **Model, 5 min.** Read S04. Say, “Today each bag must hold *three*. I do not know how many bags until I make them.” Move three into group 1, three into group 2, three into group 3; count groups separately from objects.
3. **Bag game, 10 min.** Partners mix nine counters and make groups of three twice, changing spatial layout. Checker touches or directs each group and says “three objects in this group; three groups.” Then try S09's six wheel tokens in pairs. Teacher asks three focus learners, “What does this three tell me: objects per group or groups made?”
4. **Fresh check, 4 min.** Give nine counters on a new mat and request groups of three; child reports size, group count and spare without seeing teacher layout.
5. **Close, 3 min.** Child points to one *group*, then one *object* to keep the units distinct. **Key:** nine in groups of three → 3 groups of 3, 0 spare; six in groups of two → 3 groups of 2, 0 spare.

**If the child reports “nine groups”:** Circle each completed collection of three and count the circles, while separately counting the objects. **Access and record:** Raised rings, touchable containers, spoken group labels or adult movement by child direction are available. Note whether group size stayed fixed and whether group count was independent.