Activity
Early mathematicsMake or substitute
Counting jars, one to ten
Links each written numeral to the exact quantity it stands for, including zero.
- Ages
- 4–5, 5–6 years
- Prep
- 10 minutes
Put this to work this week
A week gives you what to gather, one change at home and one thing to observe. It starts with four short questions.
Readiness signs
Signs to look for, not a checklist to pass.
- Counts to ten reliably
- Recognises some written numerals
- Works with small objects carefully
What to gather
Ten small jars or cups labelled 0 to 9, and fifty small objects such as buttons or dried beans
How to present it
Show it slowly and in silence. Your hands are the lesson.
- 1Set the jars out in order, 0 to 9, left to right.
- 2Count the correct number of objects into each jar, one at a time, saying each number aloud.
- 3Leave the zero jar empty and let the silence sit — this is the point of it.
- 4Empty everything back at the end.
What to say — and what to avoid
Say
- One, two, three. Three.
- Nothing goes in this one. Zero.
Avoid
- Zero means nothing, obviously
- That is too many, start again
Control of error
Objects left over or missing at the end show the child where the count went wrong.
What to observe
Take these into the next cycle rather than judging the session.
- Does your child touch each object as they count?
- Do they understand the empty jar?
- Do they check their own jars at the end?
Simplify or extend
If it's too hard
Use jars 0 to 5 only.
Once it's mastered
Introduce odd and even by laying each jar's objects out in pairs.
Sources and review
Nothing publishes here without a named reviewer and the sources it rests on.
Reviewed by Nicole · August 2026
- The Absorbent Mind — Maria Montessori. The mathematical mind