Subitizing, how does abacus help?

What is subitizing? Subitizing refers to the ability to recognize the number of items in a small set without counting them individually.

Here is an example of how easy abacus subitizing is for large numbers.

Let’s count the leaves.

Counting

I am not sure about you but I have to count each leaf, or at most split the leaves in half to subitize a smaller number.

On the abacus

On the abacus, from count on from 5, which is the top bead, and then I add 2 bottom beads. I easily see that there are seven beads.

Counting on is also a kindergarten milestone for children, instead of counting from number 1, on the abacus, children can count on from 5.

Here is a clothespin activity to help with subitizing on the abacus.

This activity works on fine motor skills like cutting. This activity let’s the child practice cutting the cards.

after each card it prepared, my student uses a clothes pin to indicate which abacus the number represents. Pinching the clothespin helps strength his hands to hold a writing instrument.

We practiced sequence counting forward and counting backwards.

Activities for sorting cards:

• ascending order

• descending order

• evens

• odds

• what number comes next

• what number comes before

And then my student would practice writing the number words. So they can be familiar with letters and number words.

Once we had our cards ready, we were able to play memory. Match the number word with the abacus card.