Subitising - A Crucial Skill

Subitising sounds technical, but it is from a Latin word, meaning 'sudden'. At its simplest, subitising is being able to visually see a number of objects instantly without needing to count them out one at a time. Have you ever played a board game with your child and noticed that they are able to tell you how many dots are on the die without needing to count? That’s subitising -  a crucial skill that many of us use on a daily basis without even realising it.

In schools, teachers use different number patterns and games to support children’s understanding of numbers and to help them recognise how ‘many’ each arrangement is without the need to count.

Two different type of subitising

The first is perceptual. This is where children see an amount instantly. For instance, if you were watching two ducks swimming in a pond you would be able to see there were two just by looking at them.

Once they’ve grasped peceptual subitising, they can move onto a higher level skill: conceptual subitising. This is where children see larger patterns and can break down the amount into smaller groups using mental maths strategies. For instance, if there were six ducks swimming, you might subitise by splitting the group up into two smaller groups of three, or even three groups of two.

Through subitising, children can take on basic maths concepts such as odd and even numbers and number bonds.

Often children memorise numbers but don’t always fully understand the relationship between numbers and amounts. Subitising helps them to make these connections, creating a very strong foundation for future learning. 

How can you help your child?

To help your child subitise up to five, you can start off by using your hands. Sing songs, play games and encourage them to visualise the numbers instead of counting out loud.

In fact, you can practise subitising with anything you have around the house by arranging objects into different patterns. It helps to use items that your child enjoys – it might be their favourite toys. 

You might begin by using different coloured Smarties, counters or lego bricks. You could start by asking your child questions about the items to let them lead the exploration: can you see three red Smarties? Can you also see two blue Smarties and one yellow Smartie? Can they instantly tell you how many Smarties there are? Or do they revert back to counting to check? Don’t worry if they struggle at first. It’s a hard concept to grasp and might take a bit of exploration.

Once they can confidently tell you whether there are two or three without counting, introduce four and five, and arrange the objects in different ways to give your child the opportunity to see and say how many items there are. Don’t forget, when you’re subitising, there isn’t any counting involved. It’s about seeing amounts without the need to count.

Be a number detective when out and about...encourage your child to 'spot' numbers on packets in shops, in nature and when playing.

Why not try a game or two?

Playing board games with dice is an excellent start. Through practice, if your child is able to recognise the arrangements of the dots, without counting, then stick a piece of paper each side with new arrangements of dots that you have thought of together.

Ask your child to play the first games in the White Rose app; just one minute a day can support subitising and using this to order numbers.

Click here to use the app on your device or computer.

Try a Number blocks subitising game. Remember not to count! Don't count...see the amount!

Clear here to play the game.