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20) Starting at Ten: Using Cubes

Counting Forwards 10 to 20

Understanding Activity Instruction

This is an ‘understanding’ (proficiency strand) activity . It takes longer than other ‘fluency’ activities. 

  • Please allow 40 minutes for Session 1. It takes a long time for students to sort their cubes.    
  • Please allow up to 30 minutes for Sessions 2 and 3. Stop when students become bored. Fluency will be developed in the following activities in the chapter.
  • At the end of Session 1 keep the cubes in sticks of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 10 for Sessions 2 and 3. 
The the clocks on the Tier One Sample Planner need to be corrected to these times. I will have these ready for to download for the start of 2025. Sorry for the confusion! Kind regards, Narelle.

Mathematics

  • Use the cardinal principle of counting; the last number said indicates the group’s total.
  • Match Bond Blocks 1 to 10 with the correct number of 2 cm cubes.
  • Connect quantities to number names and numerals.
  • Develop fluency counting forwards in the correct order from 10 to 20.
  • Identify numbers from 11 to 19 as two-part bond made of 10 and another number.

Language

  • one longer
  • one more than (later introduce ‘one greater than’)
  • one number after

Tip for Checking Numeral Orientation

Session 3

PAUSE the video at the timestamp 1 minute 26 seconds. 

Place the enlarged paper bond blocks on the whiteboard. Students use this visual to check their block orientation. 

Scroll down on this page to download the Enlarged Paper Bond Blocks.

Tip for Packing Away Cubes

This is a personal preference but at the end of Session 3, I always instruct students to put cubes away in sticks of 10, not random amounts. I have two reasons for this:

  • Firstly, when they make the 10 they practice purposeful counting.
  • Secondly, and more importantly, when they break the stick of 10 to make other numbers they think about the size of numbers and how they relate to each other. It is essential students develop this thinking.

Differentiation

A little easier

Counting order

B

A little harder

AAA

P

Progression

AAA