Maths activity: two-colour counters

This is one of my favourite pieces of mathematics equipment. A very simple idea: basically a counter which is red on one side and yellow on the other. 

Here are a few simple activities:

1) Put a number of counters, let’s say ten counters in one hand, cup the other hand over the top of your counter filled hand and shake it.  Let the counters drop to the table top.  Some will land red side up and some blue side up.  This activity is great for finding number pairs that make ten.  Don’t forget that other number pairs are just as important!

2) Finding the difference between two numbers.  When I ask children what is the difference between 3 and 7, the answer is usually based on an aesthetic difference, e.g. ‘One number is curly miss and the other one is made out of straight lines.’  To get across to the children the difference in number, I ask them to make two rows of counters one above the other, like so.

Now I ask the children to turn over the blue counters to show where the numbers are the ‘same’. 

The blue counters show the children where the two numbers differ.

I repeat this several time with the children, then I may introduce early empty number line recording.

3) Ask the children to work in pairs.  Each child shakes some counters onto the table top.  Ask both children to tell you how many red or blue counters they can see.  Ask them to compare the red counters with those of their partner.  Ask questions about the counters, e.g. Who has more blue counters? Who has fewer red counters?  Ask the children to turn over one red counter and ask them ‘How many counters did you have?  How many do you have now?’ 

4) Use the counters to introduce calculation and the combining of two sets by asking the children to count up all the red counters, e.g. Lucy has three blue counters and Mia has four blue counters. ‘How many counters do you have altogether.’

There are three speech bubble documents to accompany this article which you may use for classroom display. 

Liz Gibbs is a freelance national and international teaching and learning consultant for mathematics and ICT.  This autumn Liz is currently running courses in Suffolk, London and Hong Kong.  You can find out more by visiting her website. www.thebusylizzie.co.uk