All quantities are invented. Use broad supervised paper pieces, large virtual equivalents or a child-directed adult mover. Avoid loose small pieces if mouthing is possible. A recipient in a paper sharing story is a labelled tray, not a real child whose needs are being judged. Equal share means each named tray has the same number of like pieces and none is left out in these prepared cases. Equal grouping asks how many complete equal-size groups are made. Location uses fixed large landmarks. Check the actual pieces, card count and orientation before recording a child response.
| Practice code/day | Exact teacher setup | Child-controlled mathematical evidence | Fault to prevent |
|---|---|---|---|
| P171 / 171 | 6 broad blank puppet-message cards; two large identical labelled puppet trays A and B. | Deal one card to each tray in turn until gone; each has 3. Count/compare both and explain “same number”. | Do not put all cards in one tray then silently rebalance for the child. No real child's property. |
| P172 / 172 | 8 broad pretend tickets; two model kiosk trays EAST and WEST, identical and fixed. | Share one by one or by matching pairs; each gets 4; show why the split is equal. | Labels are just tray names; don't ask for directional navigation. |
| P173 / 173 | 9 large fictional roof cards; a wide grouping mat with three blank group frames. | Make groups of 3 cards, ending with 3 groups; name both cards per group and number of groups. | Do not call 3 groups “3 cards total”; keep each full group separate. |
| P174 / 174 | 4 broad pretend sign cards; make two equal groups of 2 on the room mat. Fixed drawn landmarks: DESK A, DESK B and a paper PUPPET. Place one finished tray between DESK A and DESK B; a second tray beside the PUPPET. | Child makes equal groups and describes each tray's position relative to named fixed landmarks; “between two desks” and “beside puppet” are observable. | Put trays in separate open spaces, not over landmarks; do not make the puppet face a changing left/right direction. |
| P175 / 175 | Use separate fresh Check A with teacher-held setup; do not rehearse it here. | First child-controlled share/group and location description. | Keep check cards/answers off routine tables. |
| P176 / 176 | Six broad practice cards in order CIRCLE, TRIANGLE, CIRCLE, TRIANGLE, CIRCLE, TRIANGLE; two blank slots. | Name/copy the smallest repeating unit circle–triangle, continue with circle, triangle, and explain why. | Do not ask for next card from colour or position alone. |
| P177 / 177 | Adult-made cue TAP, CLAP, TAP, CLAP, TAP, CLAP; broad TAP and CLAP print/tactile cards, optional original WAV with exact alternative. | Recognise/copy the two-part repeating unit and continue TAP, CLAP through sound, paper, touch, adult-directed gesture or AAC. | Never require hearing, hand clapping, synchrony, volume or performance speed. |
| P178 / 178 | Six broad practice cards CIRCLE, CIRCLE, SQUARE, CIRCLE, CIRCLE, SQUARE; three blank slots. | Point to/copy unit circle–circle–square and continue circle, circle, square. | A child who says only “next circle” has not yet shown the repeating unit. |
| P179 / 179 | Original fictional toy-place drawing: triangle roof (three straight sides/corners), circle window (continuous curved boundary, no corners), rectangle door (four straight sides/corners, two visibly longer). Broad triangle/circle cutouts; border has triangle, circle, triangle, circle. | Find/names two shapes in the drawing, give a feature reason, create one broad matching paper shape, and continue the triangle–circle border. | Do not claim a real building was inspected; accept a square as a rectangle only if the actual cutout warrants it, but this door is deliberately oblong. |
| P180 / 180 | Use separate fresh Check B and teacher-held cutouts. | First repeating-unit copy/continue and fresh shape recognition, creation and reason. | Do not preview check unit or model picture in routine work. |
Exact text and tactile route
P171 = six cards split 3/3; P172 = eight split 4/4; P173 = nine as 3 groups of 3; P174 = four as two groups of 2 with one tray between two desk landmarks and the other beside a fixed puppet marker. P176 unit CIRCLE–TRIANGLE repeats three times, then repeats again. P177 unit TAP–CLAP repeats three times, then repeats again. P178 unit CIRCLE–CIRCLE–SQUARE repeats twice, then repeats again. P179 the pictured roof has three straight edges/corners, the window is a closed curved round shape, the door has four straight edges/corners; its border unit is TRIANGLE–CIRCLE. This paragraph is staff preparation/answer copy; don't hand it to the child before a first attempt.
Make broad raised outline cards or full-word cards rather than tiny dots. Child may place, point, draw, sign, use AAC or direct an adult. If an adult places for access, record the child's instructions as the evidence, and note any supplied answer as content help. A screen reader can read ordered text; tactile shape production, AAC programming and child-specific adjustments require local review. Print alternatives and audio alternative state every essential cue in text.