Raising a Math Whiz? Get started with subitisation!

Have you met someone who can calculate numbers really quickly without using a calculator? These people are using strong mental math strategies- they have worked out multiple ways to calculate number problems accurately and quickly. And one of these key foundations for fast mental math skill is subitizing. And this is a super easy skill to develop at home…

Subitisation means to instantly recognise the quantity of small items. The word, which was only introduced last century, comes from a Latin word meaning ‘suddenly’. When we can subitise we instantly recognise a quantity of items without having to count them individually. Academics say we can subitise up to 4 items. This is perceptual subitising. And then, when there are more than 4 items in front of us, we subconsciously group them into groups of 1,2,3 or 4. This is conceptual subitising.

Interestingly, we usually can instantly recognise numbers 5 and 6 too, but this happens when they are shown in familiar pattern, like they are on the faces of a dice.

Subitizing leads to those skills where we can add or subtract in our heads. It also is foundational for understanding multiplication and division. And it is easy to help your child subitise before they start formal schooling.

So, let’s look at three practical tips for developing subitising. These are fun activities for early years classrooms and easy to use at home.

1. Cover, see, cover. I’m a big believer in always starting with concrete materials for math learning. So first step is to use some everyday items to subitise. Simply grab a bowl or large saucepan, and some apples or whatever else you have that will fit under your bowl. Begin with four items to build up their perceptual subitizing skills. Once your child has mastered these then add more items. You can talk about how they can be mentally grouped such as 4 and one more.

2. Dominoes, Cards, and any game with a dice! These are perfect for developing subitizing skills because the games already depend on fast recognition of dot patterns. It’s in the child’s interest to know what the pattern represents so they are highly motivated to subitise. To make the most of using playing cards to develop subitizing, cover up the numbers on the cards, or, buy an extra pack of cards and trim off the edges.

3. Provide opportunities to subitise amounts that are not laid out like the faces on a dice. A fun way to do this is with four circular magnets. Start by placing them in a regular pattern and then shuffle them around to show they are still four even when they are laid out differently. This is also called conservation. Then you can create your own subitizing cards to flash for your child. All you need is paper and a pen. Then use those cards to play Snap. Or, you can click on this link to download a Snap game from my TPT store. The game of Snap is great because it requires children to subitise quickly.

Here is a link to my video Subitisation for young children: developing mental math fluency and number sense. And here's a link to my channel Teaching Young Children. Write in the questions you have about teaching young children in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you.

Happy subitizing!