Student B
Questions
Do you like maths?
Can you tell me what you know about addition?
When working out the answer to an addition
sum, what number would I start with?
2 3
Why would you start with ‘said number’? (3)
Read addition story - Children’s language stage
I am going to tell you a story about Farmer Jo
and his animals, I would like you to use this
mat (below) to show me how you would find
the answer.
Farmer Jo had 5 animals in one pen (point to
pen) and 2 animals in another (point to pen).
He moved all the animals to the barn to feed
them, how many animals altogether (point to
barn)?
How did you work that out?
Materials language Stage – without addition
mat:
I have 4 counters and my friend has 3 more
counters. How many counters altogether?
Responses
I like math, its about numbers.
Like maths, like plusing numbers together?
Student required prompting. Well, its like
when you plus numbers and find out how
many altogether.
Three
Because it’s the first number.
Student places 5 animals in first pen, and 2
animals in another.
Points and says: One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven.
I counted all the animals
Student places the four counters in front of
himself and counts each counter.
Then places three more counters down in
another pile and counts each counter.
Then student counts each counter
individually
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
How did you work this out? I count mine and my friends.
Mathematics Language stage: Modelled using student looks at counters placed on table
counters and says: four add four.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight.
Mrs Smith gives me 4 counters and asks me to
add four more counters. What is the total
number of counters I have?

Can you describe to me how you worked this
out?
Symbolic Language Stage:
Can you write this down and show me how you
work it out? Five add four equals.
The teacher gave me 4 counters and I
counted four more.
I don’t know how to do that

5+4=