TASK A

1. If a young child can correctly say the number word list: one, two,
three, four, five, six, will the child necessarily be able to determine
how many counting chips are in a collection of 6 chips that are lined
up on a row? Why or why not?
The child may not be using one to one correspondence
when counting. They may be simply chanting numbers
in order. With observation you could see if they are
pointing to or somehow adding each chip as they say
the next number.
2. If a young child can correctly say the number word list: one, two, three,
four, five, six, and points one-by-one to each counting chip in a
collection while saying the number words, does the child necessarily
understand that there are 6 chips in the collection? Why or why not?
That may be harder to determine. Perhaps asking them to
pull out six objects from a larger group would be a better
indicator of true counting.
3. What problem in the history of math did the development of the base ten
system solve?
This development solved the problem of naming and
recording groups larger than nine. And it created a system
of being able to continue groups that increase by
multiples of ten.
4. Make a drawing showing how to organize 19 objects in a way that fits the
structure of the base ten system.
TENS
UNITS
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5. Describe how you would organize 43 toothpicks in a way to fit with the
structure of the base 10 system.
I would organize them in four groups of ten each to
represent the 40 and 3 single toothpicks.
6. If you give a child in kindergarten a bunch of beads and ask the child to
show you what the 3 in 34 stands for, the child might show you 3 beads.
You might be tempted to respond that the 3 really stands for thirty and
not 3. While that is true, how else might you respond so as to draw
attention to the base 10 system?

I might have them count the beads sequentially and string

them by groups of ten. Then when that is done (leaving
the 4 last beads unstrung) count the 3 strings of ten and
record that, then count the 4 last ones and record that.
And reinforce the two digits and what they represent in
the beads.
7. Children sometimes mistakenly read the number 1003 as one hundred
three. Why do you think a child would make such a mistake? How can
10003 be represented with manipulatives and/or a picture?
Children see the first 3 digits in 1003 as a readily
identifiable number, 100. And they may lack true
understanding and familiarity with the base ten system.
I could represent 10003 with place value blocks, but I
would have to make a ten thousand flat by putting 10
hundred flats together. Not easy to do. So I could also do a
visual representation by drawing place value blocks.