3
Four, five and the number path
Discover Mathematics: Chapter 1
GoalWrite 4 and 5, and put the numbers 0 to 5 in order from the smallest to the biggest.
New words
order · one after the other, in a linebefore · comes just earlierafter · comes just later
Explanation
Write 4 and 5 the way a grown-up shows you, and say each number as you write it. The numbers go in order: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Each number is one more than the number before it. Imagine a path of stepping stones. You stand on 0 and hop forward one stone at a time. The further you hop, the bigger the number. We call this the number path.
Worked examples
Five dice show 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in order. Each die has one more dot than the die before it.
What comes before 4? Count up: 1, 2, 3, 4. Three comes before four. Three birds and one more bird make four birds.
Seif draws 5 sunflowers and writes the numeral 5 below them.
Class activity
Chalk path. Draw six big squares in a row on the ground, or lay six sheets of paper in a line, and write 0 to 5 in them. The child stands on 0 and hops to each number, saying it aloud. Then call a number and ask the child to hop there.
Practice
1
Which number comes after 4?
5
2
Which number comes before 3?
2
3
How many turtles are there? Write the number.
4
4
How many hearts are there? Write the number.
5
5
Put these numbers in order, smallest first: 3, 5, 1.
1, 3, 5