Overview
This foundational course develops early number sense through concrete, visual, verbal, and symbolic experiences. Students study one-to-one correspondence, stable counting order, cardinality, subitizing, quantity recognition, numeral identification and formation, comparison, ordering, equality, composition and decomposition, forward and backward counting, skip-counting patterns, and zero.
Instruction integrates manipulatives, fingers, ten-frames, number lines, games, songs, movement, story problems, and everyday contexts including sharing, time, money, and classroom routines. Students encounter simple addition and subtraction through joining, separating, comparing, and combining groups, with emphasis on reasoning and representation rather than memorization. Assessment uses observation, performance tasks, number interviews, visual models, practical activities, and developmental checks.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate reliable one-to-one correspondence, stable counting order, and cardinality when counting collections.
- Identify, form, read, and represent numerals and quantities using concrete, visual, verbal, and symbolic forms.
- Compare and order quantities and numbers using the concepts of more, less, and equal.
- Construct and explain representations of numbers through composing and decomposing quantities.
- Recognize and extend counting patterns, including forward counting, backward counting, skip-counting, and the role of zero.
- Apply counting and number concepts to simple joining, separating, comparing, and combining problems.
- Evaluate and communicate counting strategies using mathematical language, models, and representations.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Lab | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 1 hour | Weekly | All semester |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance | Informal observation and participation (12 × 1%), focused on counting routines, representations, and mathematical communication. | 12.00% |
| Assignment | Visual representation portfolio demonstrating quantities, numerals, and number relationships. | 15.00% |
| Test | Practical counting activities (3 × 5%), assessing correspondence, cardinality, ordering, and skip-counting. | 15.00% |
| Tutorial | Number interview evaluating verbal explanations, quantity comparison, and strategy use. | 15.00% |
| Assignment | Applied problem-solving assignment using joining, separating, comparing, and combining situations. | 15.00% |
| Quiz | Developmental checks (4 × 3%), covering numeral formation, patterns, zero, and number representations. | 12.00% |
| Exam | Final practical assessment integrating counting, representation, comparison, and simple operations. | 16.00% |
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.