Tape measure counting

Required materials

• a tape measure

See Materials that come with this resource to download:

• Tape measure counting activity (.pdf)

What to do

Choose any two numbers on the tape, and practice counting, backwards and forwards, between these two numbers. For example, start counting at 28 and stop at 42, or start counting at 92 and stop at 73, and follow the numbers on the tape measure as you count together.

Ask questions about the order of the numbers on the tape measure, for example:

• What number comes before 71?
• What number comes after 29?

Children can use the tape measure to help answer these questions if they need to.

What to expect your child to do

• Be able to visualise where the number fits on the tape measure to increase their understanding of the order of numbers.
• To confidently cross the decades when counting forwards and backwards. For example "17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23" or "93, 92, 90, 89, 88, 87".

Variations

• Count in twos between any two numbers on the tape. Remember to count both forwards and backwards
  28, 30, 32…
• Count in fives between any two numbers on the tape.
  65, 60, 55

He kupu Māori

He whakawhitinga kōrero

• Kōwhiria kia rua ngā tau i te taura ine. (Choose 2 numbers on the tape measure.)
• Tīmata i te rua tekau mā waru, ka tatau whakamua ki te whā tekau mā rua. (Start at 28 and  count on to 42.)
• Tīmata i te iwa tekau mā rua, ka tatau whakamuri ki te whitu tekau mā toru. (Start at 92 and  count back to 73.)
• He aha te tau ka whai ake i te whitu tekau mā tahi? (What number comes after 71?)
• He aha te tau i mua i te rua tekau mā iwa? (What number comes before 29?)
• Tīmata i te tekau mā ono. Tatau mawhiti-rua whakamua ki te rua tekau mā waru. (Start at 16. Count forwards in twos to 28.)
• Tīmata i te rima tekau. Tatau mawhiti-rima whakamuri ki te rua tekau mā rima. (Start at 50. Count backwards in fives to 25.)

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