Small Collection Namer

Names groups of at least 1, 2, and 3 (or higher) with increasing accuracy. Most children of about 34-39 months of age can accurately name groups of 1, 2, and 3. Many children learn to recognize and name groups of 4 about 6 months later. The child is able to recognize small groups without relying on a model or matching strategy. 

Activities

You may see this:

Linked Image to Sign In/Sign Up page

Other Examples:

  • Three dogs walk by, child says, "Three doggies!"
  • Shown a pair of shoes, a child says, "Two shoes." 
  • When asked, “How many blocks do you have?” a child shows a caregiver one block in each hand and says “Two.

Help your student become a(n) Small Collection Namer

Everyday experiences discussing "one," "two," and even "three" objects (or sounds or actions) help children build the basic idea of number.

Practice-based Research: In everyday and small group activitities, playfully assess how high and accurately each child can name the number in small sets; increase the amount for each child to discover what numbers he or she knows.

Using numerals to label numbers, as well as representing collections with written symbols, are key steps toward mathematical abstraction.

Special Thanks To

Institute of Education Sciences
The research reported here was supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education, through grant numbers R305K050157, R305A120813, R305A110188, and R305A150243. to the University of Denver. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the Institute or the U.S. Department of Education.