Subitising Activity

Cut and stick subitising to 10

This subitising activity is designed to help learners recognise and understand numbers without having to count each object individually. Learners are given a number mat and a set of matching cards that show different representations of numbers, including numerals, finger patterns, dot patterns and ten-frames.

Learners look at each card and identify the quantity shown using subitising skills, then match it to the correct number on the mat. For example, a card showing a dot pattern of five, a hand displaying five fingers, or a ten-frame representing five would all be placed in the section labelled “5”. This encourages learners to make connections between different representations of the same number and strengthens their understanding of number concepts.

The activity can be used independently, in small groups, during maths rotations or as a whole-class teaching resource. It supports number recognition, subitising, counting skills, one-to-one correspondence and early number sense.