Math educators share four ways parents can use counters, like candies or lego pieces, to lead ‘number talks’ that help kids develop an understanding of how numbers are related.

The learner might choose a counter different than you. There is no correct answer here — pulling the middle counter down, for example, might make it easier for them to see the remaining nine.

Let's say you're a parent helping a Grade 1 child with their math, and they're subtracting eight from 17, using small items - counters - like Smarti ...

Seeing this action with counters supports understanding the concept of“taking away.” Let's continue with our example of 17 minus eight with the 17 organized into subitized images of five and two.

For example, 9 = 2 (1 2)+7, and 15 = 2 (2 2)+7. This week's GeekDad Puzzle of the Week is simple: what are the two smallest counter-examples that disprove this conjecture?