Coloured counters

Ideas for use

1. Simple 4 operation calculation: The counters can be arranged to pictorially demonstrate addition (collating 2 piles of dots together), subtraction (removal of dots from a pile), multiplication (combining of same-sized groups of dots) and division (splitting a pile of dots into same-sized groups of dots). 2. Number Bonds: Use the different colours as different number bonds that combine to give a certain number. For number bonds to 10, the tens frames can be used by clicking on the given boxes. 3. Simple inequalities: Stacking dots to form 2 columns, showing one stack is taller than the other. 4. Identifying and simplifying fractions: A number of different coloured counters can be dragged into a pile and questions such as "what is the fraction of red counters" can be asked. The counter can also be organised by colour into an array to demonstrate simplifying fractions (e.g. 6 red and 9 blue counters can be sorted into an 3 rows of 2 red dots and 3 blue dots, thus 6/15 = 2/5) 5. Identifying and simplifying ratio: As with fractions above (e.g. 6 red and 9 blue and 3 green counters can be sorted into an 3 rows of 2 red dots, 3 blue dots and 1 green dot, thus 6:9:3 = 2:3:1)