This unit explores early multiplication where ākonga are encouraged to skip count to solve story problems, rather than counting all.
This unit develops the skill of skip counting to find the total of several equal sets. At Level One, ākonga are expected to use a range of counting strategies such as counting on, counting back and skip counting. Both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency are important to counting. Skip counting involves understanding that a set can be treated as a composite unit. The last number counted tells how many objects are in the set. Composites can be combined whether they are equal or not, but skip counting (e.g. 5, 10, 15, 20) can be used particularly when the sets are equal. The procedural fluency ākonga need to enact skip counting is knowledge of the skip counting sequences. Ideally, learning word and numeral sequences, like 2, 4, 6, 8… are learned in conjunction with quantity. That way, ākonga realise that the next number is the result of adding two more objects to what is already there.
As well as knowing skip counting sequences, ākonga need fluency in tracking the number of counts. Initially they may use fingers to do that. For example, the fingers in four hands might be skip-counted as 5, 10, 15, 20, while the number of hands is tracked as 1, 2, 3, 4.
The learning opportunities in this unit can be differentiated by providing or removing support to ākonga and by varying the task requirements. Ways to differentiate the tasks include:
The contexts for skip patterns used in this unit can be adapted to suit the interests and experiences of your ākonga. For example:
Te reo Māori vocabulary terms such as tatau māwhiti-rua (skip count in twos), tatau mawhiti-rima (skip count in fives), whakamua (forwards), and whakamuri (backwards) could be introduced in this unit and used throughout other mathematical learning.
Each of the following sessions is designed to take 20 to 25 minutes. This series of sessions can be used in whole class (mahi tahi) or small group situations. The first session develops ākonga ability to skip count in a variety of ways.
Dear family and whānau,
At school this week we have been using skip counting to solve simple multiplication problems. At home this week we would like your child to practice skip counting forwards and backwards in twos and fives. Try doing this with them by clapping a beat together or by following a number strip. Change the starting numbers for the sequences.
Start from 2:
2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, …
Count down from 14:
4, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2.
Start from 5:
5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, …
Start from 15:
15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 45, 50, …
Count down from 45:
45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5.
Printed from https://meaningfulmaths.nt.edu.au/mmws/nz/resource/skip-it-multiply-it at 8:31pm on the 26th February 2024