NUMBER LAB 0–20 • PARENT COACH
Forty short, playful sessions with the exact words to use, what to notice and a simple check for when your child is ready to move on.
Each session tells you exactly what you need.
2. Say the scriptUse the words as written or make them sound like you.
3. Watch the thinkingThe goal is understanding, not a fast answer.
4. Check readinessRepeat, extend or move on. All three are good outcomes.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Ask “How did you know?” and let your child show you.
Counters and cubes are not cheating. They help ideas become visible.
If a game is useful or loved, play it again before moving on.
Ten focused minutes beats pushing through when attention is gone.
KNOW YOUR CARD DECKS
Written numerals for matching, ordering and building quantities.
Dots and structured quantities for seeing how many without always counting.
Teen-number pictures that make one ten and the extra ones visible.
THE 40-SESSION PATHWAY
Every five sessions form a learning stage. Sessions 5, 10, 20, 25 and 30 act as gentle consolidation points; Session 40 brings the whole journey together.
SESSIONS 1–5
Today: See 1–3 without counting
Grab: See the Number cards 1–3
“I’m going to show you a card really quickly. Tell me how many you see. Ready? How many? How did you know?”
If they count every dot, show the card briefly, hide it, then ask what they noticed.
Reliably identifies 1–3 across different arrangements without counting.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Match a spoken number to a small quantity
Grab: Munch board · counters · Numbers 1–5
“Munch is hungry! He wants four berries. Can you feed him exactly four? How many did you give Munch? How do you know?”
If they keep adding counters, repeat the target and count together, stopping exactly on the number.
Makes quantities 1–5 accurately in random order.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: See structured quantities to 5
Grab: See the Number cards 1–5
“Don’t count yet. Look. What did you see? How did your eyes see five?”
If they count every dot, ask whether they can see a smaller part they already know, such as 3 and 2.
Recognises quantities to 5 and can sometimes describe the parts they saw.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Know that different arrangements can show the same amount
Grab: See the Number cards
“These look different. Could they still both be four? Find another card showing the same amount.”
Spread one set out and bunch another together. Count to check that spacing does not change how many.
Matches different representations of 1–5 regardless of arrangement.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Bring together quick quantity recognition to 5
Grab: See the Number cards · counters
“Tell me what you see. Now show me how you know.”
If they return to counting everything, let them check, then show the same amount in a familiar structure.
Flexibly recognises structured quantities to 5 and checks when needed.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
SESSIONS 6–10
Today: Count accurately and know the last count word tells how many
Grab: Munch board · counters
“Munch wants five. Touch each berry as you count it. So how many berries are there altogether?”
If they recount when asked “how many?”, repeat the final number: “You counted five. So there are five altogether.”
Counts to 5 one-to-one and states the total without needing to recount.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Make a requested collection to 10
Grab: Picnic board · counters · Numbers 1–10
“Possum needs seven snacks. Can you put exactly seven on the picnic blanket? How will you check?”
Encourage moving or touching each counter once while counting.
Accurately makes requested collections to 10.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Know that rearranging objects does not change how many
Grab: Counters · Mystery Cover
“We counted six. I’m going to move them around. Do we still have six? How could we check?”
If a spread-out group looks “more”, count both arrangements together and discuss what changed and what did not.
Understands that rearrangement does not change quantity.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Compare two collections by quantity
Grab: Picnic board · counters
“Possum has six berries. Squidge has four. Who has more? How do you know?”
Rearrange the smaller group so it looks longer. Ask again and encourage counting or matching.
Compares collections by quantity rather than visual spread.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Bring together counting, totals and comparison
Grab: Counters · cards · bag or cup
“Make this amount. Tell me how many altogether. Which collection has more? Show me how you know.”
Slow down and organise objects if one-to-one counting becomes inconsistent.
Flexibly counts, makes and compares collections to 10.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
SESSIONS 11–15
Today: Understand zero as no items
Grab: Munch board · counters · Number 0
“Munch has three berries. He eats one… another… and the last one. How many are left? None. We call that zero. Can you feed Munch zero berries?”
Keep zero connected to an empty collection, not just the shape of the symbol.
Identifies and represents zero appropriately.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Connect written numerals with quantities
Grab: Numbers deck · See the Number deck
“What does this number tell us? Find the card that shows that amount.”
If they can name the numeral but cannot match the amount, build it with counters first.
Reliably connects numerals and quantities 0–10.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Read a numeral and make its quantity
Grab: Munch board · Numbers 0–10 · counters
“Munch’s order says seven. What does he need? Show me.”
Mix the cards rather than presenting them in order so the child must read the numeral.
Moves independently from numeral to quantity.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Put numerals 0–10 in order and find missing numbers
Grab: Lily Pad track · Numbers deck · pawn
“Freddie needs his lily pads back in order. Where does this number belong? What is missing?”
Let the child say the sequence while pointing to positions, then replace missing cards.
Orders 0–10 and identifies missing positions.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Understand one more and one less
Grab: Lily Pad track · Numbers deck · pawn
“Freddie is on six. Which number lives just before six? Which comes next?”
Move the pawn one space instead of restarting the count from one.
Identifies neighbouring numbers flexibly within 10.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
SESSIONS 16–20
Today: See quantities in relation to 5
Grab: Five & Ten Frame · counters
“Make four. How many spaces are empty? What do you notice?”
Encourage looking at filled and empty spaces rather than recounting every cell.
Uses the frame structure to reason about quantities to 5.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Structure quantities within 10 as 5 and some more
Grab: Rocket board · counters
“The rocket has six fuel cells filled. How many are empty? How did you see it?”
Point out the 5 + 5 structure without giving the answer.
Uses 5/10 structure to reason about filled and empty spaces.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Know the same quantity can look different
Grab: Counters · Five & Ten Frame
“Show seven with loose counters. Now show seven another way. What stayed the same? What changed?”
Count both representations to verify they show the same amount.
Represents a quantity in more than one way and recognises equivalence.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Recognise structured quantities to 10 efficiently
Grab: See the Number ten-frame cards
“Quick look. How many? How did you see it?”
If they count every dot, ask: “Did you see five? What was with the five?”
Increasingly uses structure rather than counting by ones.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Use 5 and 10 as useful number benchmarks
Grab: Frames · counters · cards
“Show me what you notice before you count. How close is it to five? How close is it to ten?”
Return to a full frame, then compare the target amount with it.
Uses 5 and/or 10 as meaningful reference points.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
SESSIONS 21–25
Today: See a whole number as two parts
Grab: Two-colour counters · shake cup
“We have six altogether. How many landed this colour? How many the other colour? Four and two make six.”
Keep naming the whole as well as the two parts.
Identifies two parts while maintaining the whole.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Split a whole into two parts
Grab: Number House · counters
“Seven friends live here altogether. Three are upstairs. How many must be downstairs? How do you know?”
Keep the whole visible and move the same counters between the two part spaces.
Partitions a whole and reasons about a missing part with materials.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Work out a hidden part from the whole and visible part
Grab: Counters · Mystery Cover
“There are eight altogether. You can see five. How many are hiding? Tell me how you worked it out.”
Remind them of the known whole before they guess; reveal to check after reasoning.
Reasons about missing parts within 10 with less reliance on counting.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Find different ways to split the same number
Grab: Two-colour counters · Number House or frame
“Can we make eight a different way? What parts did you use this time?”
If they repeat the same split, move one counter from one part to the other and discuss what changed.
Generates multiple partitions for a whole within 10.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Bring together partitioning and missing-part reasoning
Grab: Counters · Number House · Mystery Cover
“Here is the whole. Show me two parts. Now I’ll hide one. What must be hiding?”
Use the whole as the anchor whenever guessing replaces reasoning.
Flexibly partitions quantities to 10 and reasons about missing parts.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
SESSIONS 26–30
Today: Work out how many more are needed to make 10
Grab: Rocket board · counters · Numbers deck
“The rocket has seven fuel cells filled. How many more until launch? Show me how you know.”
Direct attention to the empty spaces rather than recounting the filled cells.
Finds complements to 10 with structured support.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Explore pairs that combine to make 10
Grab: Numbers 0–10 · Ten Frame · counters
“You drew six. Who is six’s partner to make ten?”
Build the pair on the frame, then gradually ask before placing the missing counters.
Finds partners to 10 using structure and increasingly known relationships.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Repeatedly reason about how far away 10 is
Grab: Ten Frame · die · counters · pawns
“How many do you have now? How many spaces are left to ten?”
Keep the conversation on the quantities, not only on who is winning.
Repeatedly reasons about distance to 10 during play.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Reason in both directions about parts of 10
Grab: Rocket board · counters · Mystery Cover
“Four spaces are empty. Without counting every space, how many must be full?”
Switch between talking about filled and empty spaces so one direction does not become a trick.
Reasons both ways about parts of 10.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Bring together complements and benchmark-10 thinking
Grab: Frames · Rocket · cards · counters
“What goes with this amount to make ten? Show me, then tell me how you knew.”
Let the frame support thinking, then reduce materials only for combinations that are becoming familiar.
Determines complements to 10 flexibly.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
SESSIONS 31–35
Today: Build teen numbers as 10 and some more
Grab: Ten & More Train · linking cubes
“Fill the first carriage with ten. Add four more. This is fourteen — ten and four more.”
Keep the group of ten intact instead of counting all cubes from one.
Constructs teen quantities as 10 and some more.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Turn a teen numeral into a structured quantity
Grab: Numbers 11–19 · Train/frame · cubes
“This says seventeen. Can you make seventeen as ten and some more?”
If the numeral is reversed or confusing, say its name and rebuild the 10 + more structure.
Builds teen numbers from numerals using a 10-plus structure.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Connect different representations of teen numbers
Grab: Numbers deck · Ten & More deck · manipulatives
“Which pictures belong with sixteen? What do they all have in common?”
Ask the child to prove a match by identifying the ten and the extra ones.
Matches teen numerals to equivalent structured representations.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Order and locate numbers to 20
Grab: Lily Pad track · Numbers deck · pawn
“Where would eighteen live? What comes before fourteen? What comes after sixteen?”
Pay extra attention around 9 to 10 and 19 to 20; use the track rather than rote recitation alone.
Orders and locates numbers to 20 with growing flexibility.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Quickly interpret teen quantities as 10 plus more
Grab: Ten & More cards
“I can see ten and three more. What number is that? How did you know?”
If they recount from one, point to the complete ten first: “We already know this is ten.”
Identifies familiar teen structures without recounting the whole collection.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
SESSIONS 36–40
Today: Compare quantities to 20 and explain why
Grab: Ten & More cards · counters · number track if needed
“Which is more — fourteen or seventeen? How do you know? Can you prove it another way?”
Compare the ten first, then the extra ones; do not compare only the final digit.
Compares quantities to 20 using meaningful reasoning.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Model an adding-to story
Grab: Munch board · counters
“Munch has five berries. I give him three more. Show me what happens. How many does he have now? How do you know?”
Keep the starting amount and the added amount distinct; let the child physically model the change.
Models and explains simple adding-to situations.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Model a taking-away story
Grab: Picnic board · counters
“Possum has eight snacks. She eats two. Show me what happens. How many are left?”
Start with the whole collection and physically remove the amount taken away.
Models and explains simple taking-away situations.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Make equal shares and groups
Grab: Picnic board · counters
“There are six snacks for Possum and Squidge. Can you share them fairly? How do you know it is fair?”
Deal one at a time to each character, then compare the shares.
Creates and checks equal shares/groups in small practical situations.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
Today: Celebrate and connect the big Number Lab ideas
Grab: Adventure map · selected kit pieces
“Let’s visit the Number Lab worlds. Can you feed Munch a number, make ten for the rocket, split a number in the house, build a teen number and solve a story?”
Treat this as a playful check-in, not a test. Revisit an earlier game when something is not yet secure.
Shows broad, flexible understanding; revisit any weaker idea through its earlier games.
▶ 60-second how-to video coming during prototype filming
READY FOR THE NEXT ADVENTURE?
Your child shows the idea flexibly without much prompting. Keep going.
They understand with materials or support. Replay a favourite game from this stage.
Return to an earlier experience and give the idea more time to grow.
Speed is never the goal. Understanding, explaining and seeing number relationships matter more.