Curriculum

• 12 large blocks, toys, or paper fruit shapes
• Two or three plates or placemat spots

1. Step 1. Set out 2 plates and 10 objects. Give one object to plate A, one to plate B, and repeat until none remain.
2. Step 2. Count each plate. Both should have 5. Say, “10 shared equally between 2 is 5 each.”
3. Step 3. Try 12 objects and 3 plates. Deal one at a time to each plate and count 4 each.
4. Step 4. Ask, “How do we know it is equal?” Aim for “each plate has the same number.”
5. Step 5. If leftovers appear in a later try, notice that the share is not equal until leftovers are handled.
6. Quick check. Success means your child shares 10 objects onto 2 plates equally and can show that both plates have the same count.

Worked example. 12 apples dealt to 3 plates one-by-one become 4, 4, and 4. Each friend gets the same amount.

Optional challenge. Share 12 objects into groups of 3 and count how many equal groups you made, saying “4 groups of 3.”

What to notice. Save a photo of equal plates or a parent note such as “10 shared by 2 made 5 and 5.”