Sharing things into groups that are all the same size is the very first step towards multiplying and dividing. At the Cupcake Café, Early Years explorers count the groups, look inside one group, and then count everything.
What your child will learn
- Count how many groups there are
- See that every group has the same number
- Count how many there are altogether, up to 10
Groups, not things
Young children often count the things when asked for the groups. Circling each plate with a finger before counting helps: “one plate, two plates, three plates”. Then look at just one plate to see how many are on it.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. How many groups are there?
- 1
- 3
- 5
Show answer
Answer: 3. Count each group once: 1, 2, 3. There are 3 groups.
2. How many groups are there?
- 6
- 4
- 5
Show answer
Answer: 4. Count each group once: 1, 2, 3, 4. There are 4 groups.
3. How many groups are there?
- 4
- 2
- 5
Show answer
Answer: 4. Count each group once: 1, 2, 3, 4. There are 4 groups.
Tips for grown-ups
- Share snacks onto plates so everyone has the same, then count the plates.
- Pair up socks and shoes: how many pairs? How many altogether?
- Ask “Is that fair?” when sharing — it means “are the groups equal?”