Adding Fish to 5

💡 About this activity

🎯 Learning objectives

• Count two groups of fish, pointing to each picture once.
• Find the total of two groups with up to five fish altogether.
• Write the total as a numeral, with support when needed.

🧺 What you need

• Printed activity sheet
• Pencil or crayon

👣 How to do it

1. Print the sheet and put a pencil within the child's reach.
2. Show the fish in the first problem and explain that you will find out how many there are altogether.
3. Count the first problem aloud, pointing to each fish once.
4. Point to the answer space and help the child write the total.
5. Invite the child to count and answer the other problems, offering help as needed.
6. Check the answers together and celebrate the child's effort.

🍎 Teaching suggestions

• Say, “Let's put the two groups together. How many fish are there altogether?”
• If the child loses count, cover the other rows and count one picture at a time together.
• If writing the numeral is tricky, write it on another piece of paper for the child to copy, or write down the answer they tell you.
• In a group, invite each child to point to and count one row, giving them time to respond.

🔀 Variations

💬 Talk about it

• How did you figure out how many fish there are altogether?
• What happens when we put the two groups together?
• Which problem would you like to count again? Why?

👀 What to look for

• Notice whether the child points to each fish once while counting.
• Notice whether the child finds the total of the two groups, with or without support.
• Notice whether the child writes or says a numeral that matches the total.