Nursery 3 or Not 3? Subitising Sorting Mat and Cards

3 or Not 3?: subitising sorting mat and cards. A sorting mat with two baskets, one for 3 and one for not 3, plus 16 picture cards. The cards show 1, 2 and 3 dots and objects in different patterns and sizes, so children must look closely. What’s included: • Teacher guide with Development Matters links. • Sorting mat with a 3 basket and a not-3 basket. • 16 picture cards showing 1, 2 and 3. Ideas for using it: • Basket sort: Turn over a card. Is it 3 or not 3? Put it in the right basket. • Quick look: Show a card for two seconds, then hide it. How many did you see? • Explain it: Ask “How do you know?” Model “I can see a 2 and a 1.”. • Size trick: Point out cards where the objects are big or small. Is it still 3? Linked to Development Matters (three and four-year-olds): • Fast recognition of up to 3 objects, without having to count them individually (‘subitising’). • Show ‘finger numbers’ up to 5. • Use a wider range of vocabulary. • Compare quantities using language: ‘more than’, ‘fewer than’. Supplied as a ready-to-print PDF (A4 landscape). Print, laminate and reuse all year.