You know how to count to find how many. For small groups, you can often just see how many, fast!
Key idea
Groups of 1 to 5 can be seen at a glance, without counting one by one.
Why it works
Our eyes can take in about 3 or 4 things at once, without counting. Patterns help with a few more: once you know the shape of 5 on a die, you just see it.
Worked example: A quick look
A die shows four dots in the corners and one dot in the middle. How many dots?
- The four corners make 4.
- One more in the middle makes 5.
Answer: 5 dots
For grown-ups: Play quick-look games with dice, dominoes or fingers: show for a moment, hide, then ask how many. Keep it to 5 or fewer at first.