Kindergarten · Math · Unit 3 of 12
See It Fast
How many? Look and know
What your child practices
Subitizing means knowing how many are in a small group without counting. Practice with dice, dominoes and fingers: show a number and ask how many.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: K.2(D) · recognizing the number in a small group at a glance
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Look at the group. Do not count one by one.
- Small groups are easy to see: 1, 2, 3.
- Split a group in two parts, then put them together.
Example: You see 2 dots and 1 dot. How many in all? Two and one together. That makes 3. Answer: 3
See It Fast in Texas
In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 3 of 12 in Kindergarten Math, after Numbers to 20 and before More, Less, Same.
Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.
Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
How many? Try not to count one by one.
🟡- 3
- 2
- 1
1
Hint: Small groups are easy to see all at once. Look for 2s and 3s.
Question 2
How many? Try not to count one by one.
🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣- 3
- 5
- 6
5
Hint: Small groups are easy to see all at once. Look for 2s and 3s.
Question 3
Which group has 4? Look fast.
- 🔴🔴🔴🔴
- 🔴🔴
- 🔴
🔴🔴🔴🔴
Hint: Look at the whole group. You can see 2 and 3 without counting.
Question 4
2 and 2 together. How many?
🔴🔴 🔴🔴
- 6
- 3
- 4
4
Hint: Put the two small groups together and say how many in all.
Question 5
How many? Try not to count one by one.
🟣- 1
- 6
- 3
1
Hint: Small groups are easy to see all at once. Look for 2s and 3s.
Question 6
How many? Try not to count one by one.
🔴🔴- 3
- 2
- 1
2
Hint: Small groups are easy to see all at once. Look for 2s and 3s.