Linear Counting

As everyone knows, a chain of ten is where there are 10 ten bars of squares to form 100 ( a square of 10)

Here is what I want to note: what is its primary use when presented to a child?

• A glimpse of a linear representation of what a quantity 100 looks like

• Opportunity to offer a child counting from 1-100 which may not have happened with a square bar.

• Earlier the same bar gave an idea about the decimal system but now it decomposes to give the idea of stretching the bar.10, 20, 30 ....are like signposts that the child passes from one milestone to another. Counting is like going from one milestone to another and that is true everywhere in our life - like measuring and many things - That is the biggest takeaway for a child of this age and this is the biggest idea to be passed on more than anything else.

  • Counting is not based on groups in decimal systems - but just moving on from one item to another - Just like a rosary helps an adult to follow counting mentally, the chain here helps to count.

  • Once the technique of counting is strong in children, we show an idea of grouping - counting in 2s, and 3s through the next chains

  So what I must not forget or what is better to offer with these chains is

  1. Offer children exploration of chains so that they see the differences visually many times. For eg., numbers 6 and 7 vary by one quantity but squares of 6 and 7 vary by much more. If children start seeing the differences visually at this age, I am hoping it starts with them for a much longer time.

  2. I read somewhere it helps in writing numbers afterwards. Maybe that's the by-product of counting that we look for many times with children :)

  Prior to this type of counting, a few ideas which I ought to have to show children

  • 
    Knowledge of terms between 10 and 20 is crucial as well as understanding the quantities also.

  • To help a few children who can read, we can even have cards highlighting the names between 10 and 20 - where groups of units in one colour and teens in another colour.

  six teen

  fif teen

  nine teen

  
  

  • Counting with teen boards, ten boards every time shows how quantity and naming is similar between 1 and 9 and how it changes when a 10 is added. The change of words for every ten has to be highlighted to children to get them used to the counting and transition of names from one milestone to another.

  We have given the vision of the number system and visual differences across the groups in decimal systems earlier, and
  we have given the idea of counting is given in steps to ease the transition to counting.