Understanding Subitising: A Guide for Parents

What is Subitising?

Subitising is the ability to recognise a small number of objects without the need of counting. An example would be rolling a dice and recognising the number rolled without the need to count. 

What are some common errors children face while learning Subitising?

When learning to subitise initially, children commonly default to counting individual objects rather than recognising the quantity instantly. Additionally, it is common for children to miscount or skip objects during subitising.

To overcome these common errors, practice constantly revising the concept will help nurture your child’s confidence in their ability to subitise.

Remember to revisit any activities where errors occurred and encourage your child not to rush when getting through the activities. Positive reinforcement and practice will greatly enhance your child’s ability to learn subitising in due time. 

What is the advantage of learning Subitising?

Subitising helps children build their number sense as they can identify numbers without the need to count. It also allows children to internally identify numbers and quantities with ease. This concept will help the child develop number sense and is an excellent way to prepare for addition and subtraction. Subitising stimulates brain development through stimulating various cognitive processes in the child’s brain, such as pattern recognition, number processing and visual perception.

How to teach your child at home?

A good way to help children develop subitising, is by playing games which involve dice or domino’s. If using two dice or domino’s, children will be able to subitising up to the number 12. Additionally, using containers, egg cartons, cube trays, muffins tins as counting trays, whereby placing a number of objects such as jellybeans or buttons, or small toys into them and asking your child to quickly identify the quantity without counting the objects individually.

While on a walk you can encourage your child to estimate the number of trees, flowers, cars, other children in the playground or birds at the park.