How Old Is Tom’s Brother?
Why do this problem?
This problem is designed to help children see numbers in many different ways. This can help them to abstract out what is sometimes known as "the two-ness of two".
Possible approach
You could begin by asking the group to tell you, or to draw, as many ways as they of ways of illustrating another number, for example, five or eight. If they do not think or dominoes or clocks or dice you could give hints about these.
Alternatively, you could start with the problem as it is given. The second number introduced is not meant to be difficult to work out, but should give some opportunity for accurate counting, number recognition and recording by many different means.
You should have dominoes, dice, play-clocks, pegboards, counters, "Multilink" and coloured rods available, as well as paper and coloured pencils.
Key questions
What is this number?
How many dots are there here?
Can you find a domino with this number of dots?
What time does this clock say?
Can you make a line/stick of that number of cubes?
Can you make the number in a different way with the coloured rods/ Cuisenaire rods?
Possible extension
Learners could choose another number to illustrate or they could try this problem.
Possible support
Suggest sticking with ways of illustrating seven by using real dominoes etc. or you could use this easier problem.