Reception Maths: Seeing up to 5 at a glance
Part of the Reception Maths counting to 10 chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Seeing up to 5 at a glance
Leo rolls a dice and sees the dots at once. He does not need to count them one by one.
Some patterns are easy to see at a glance. When you know a pattern, you know the number straight away. Check by counting once, so you are sure.
Key ideas
- 1 dot is in the middle.
- 2 dots are in opposite corners.
- 3 dots are in a line.
- 4 dots are one in each corner.
- 5 dots are four corners and one in the middle.
Method. Look at the pattern first. Then count each dot once to check.
- Look at the pattern. Some patterns can be seen at a glance.four dots, one in each corner
- Count each dot once. Touch or point to each dot to check.1, 2, 3, 4
- Write the answer. 4
Check. Turn the dice round. It still shows 4 dots. ✓
Watch out. The dots can be turned round, but the number of dots stays the same.
Method. Look at the pattern first. Then count each dot once to check.
- Look at the pattern. Some patterns can be seen at a glance.three dots in a line
- Count each dot once. Touch or point to each dot to check.1, 2, 3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Turn the dice round. It still shows 3 dots. ✓
Watch out. The dots can be turned round, but the number of dots stays the same.
Method. Look at the pattern first. Then count each dot once to check.
- Look at the pattern. Some patterns can be seen at a glance.four corners and one dot in the middle
- Count each dot once. Touch or point to each dot to check.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Write the answer. 5
Check. Turn the dice round. It still shows 5 dots. ✓
Watch out. The dots can be turned round, but the number of dots stays the same.
Watch out
Watch out: the dice can be turned round. Four dots are still four dots, even when the pattern is turned.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Make dot patterns with large counters or big buttons. Ask: “Can you see how many without counting?” Then count together to check.
Exercise 1D Dots and patterns
Non-calculatorMethod. Look at the pattern first. Then count each dot once to check.
- Look at the pattern. Some patterns can be seen at a glance.one dot in the middle
- Count each dot once. Touch or point to each dot to check.1
- Write the answer. 1
Check. Turn the dice round. It still shows 1 dots. ✓
Watch out. The dots can be turned round, but the number of dots stays the same.
Method. Look at the pattern first. Then count each dot once to check.
- Look at the pattern. Some patterns can be seen at a glance.two dots in opposite corners
- Count each dot once. Touch or point to each dot to check.1, 2
- Write the answer. 2
Check. Turn the dice round. It still shows 2 dots. ✓
Watch out. The dots can be turned round, but the number of dots stays the same.
Method. Look at the pattern first. Then count each dot once to check.
- Look at the pattern. Some patterns can be seen at a glance.three dots in a line
- Count each dot once. Touch or point to each dot to check.1, 2, 3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Turn the dice round. It still shows 3 dots. ✓
Watch out. The dots can be turned round, but the number of dots stays the same.
Method. Look at the pattern first. Then count each dot once to check.
- Look at the pattern. Some patterns can be seen at a glance.four dots, one in each corner
- Count each dot once. Touch or point to each dot to check.1, 2, 3, 4
- Write the answer. 4
Check. Turn the dice round. It still shows 4 dots. ✓
Watch out. The dots can be turned round, but the number of dots stays the same.
Method. Look at the pattern first. Then count each dot once to check.
- Look at the pattern. Some patterns can be seen at a glance.four corners and one dot in the middle
- Count each dot once. Touch or point to each dot to check.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Write the answer. 5
Check. Turn the dice round. It still shows 5 dots. ✓
Watch out. The dots can be turned round, but the number of dots stays the same.
Method. Look at each dice for the pattern of 4.
- Look at dice a. Dice a has two dots, so it is not 4.2 dots
- Look at dice b. Dice b has five dots.b
- Look at dice c. Dice c has the four corners pattern.c
- Write the answer. c
Check. Count the dots on dice c: 1, 2, 3, 4. ✓
Watch out. Check the pattern, not the position of the dice.
Method. Look at the top row first. Then look at the second row.
- Look at the top row. The top row has five boxes.top row: 4 filled
- Look at the rest of the frame. The counters fill the first boxes.no more counters
- Write the answer. 4
Check. Count the counters one at a time: 1, 2, 3, 4. ✓
Watch out. Start from the top left box.
Method. The top row is full when there are five counters.
- Look at the top row. Count the full boxes in the top row.top row full
- Check the bottom row. The bottom row has no counters.bottom row empty
- Write the answer. 5
Check. Count the counters one at a time: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. ✓
Watch out. A full top row is always five.
Method. Count the counters that are in the frame.
- Look at the top row. Three boxes have counters.3 counters in a row
- Count to be sure. Count one at a time.1, 2, 3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. Three counters, and three boxes with counters. ✓
Watch out. Count each counter once.
Method. Look at each dice and count the dots.
- Count the dots on dice a. Dice a has two dots.2
- Count the dots on dice b. Dice b has five dots.5
- Count the dots on dice c. Dice c has two dots too.2
- Write the answer. Dice a and dice c are the same.a and c
Check. Dice a and dice c both show 2 dots. ✓
Watch out. Look at both dice in the pair before you decide.
Method. Check the pattern, then count each dot once.
- Look at the pattern. Four dots, one in each corner.four corners
- Count each dot once. Touch each dot one time.1, 2, 3, 4
- Write the answer. Ruby is right.Yes. It shows 4 dots.
Check. Count the dots again: 1, 2, 3, 4. ✓
Watch out. Check the pattern, then count to be sure.
Method. Count the dots once each to find out how many there are.
- Look at the pattern. Four corners and one in the middle.four corners + middle
- Count each dot once. Touch each dot one time.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Write the answer. Tom said 6, but there are only 5.No. It shows 5 dots.
Check. Count again: 5 dots. ✓
Watch out. Lots of dots is not the same as a bigger number. Count them.