Mission 11: A look at the Counter Machine Ideas • Use small items to make groups of different sizes. Choose one of the groups and count how many things there are. Then rearrange the items in the group and count them again to check that there are still the same number. • Ask your child for a group of a particular number. Don’t forget to do this in everyday situations as well - getting 4 plates for dinner, getting 4 oranges at the supermarket and so on. • Use cards or Numberjacks photocards to draw a number at random. See if they recognize the number. Ask them to give you that number of things. Counter machine: • Use the Counter Machine to add and take away counters.  Use the different settings to add different numbers of counters at a time, and use the magnets to take away different numbers at a time.  • Experiment with having the voice and visual counter on or off – give your child more help at first and gradually remove it when they are more confident. • Think of interesting numbers - the child’s age, the digits of your house number – and make the right number of counters for each number.  Try making the number with as few clicks as possible. Agents use the Counter Machine to help the Numberjacks on their missions. This mission focuses on making groups of things of a specified number.  Agents use the Counter Machine to practice counting, addition and subtraction. Vocabulary: number, count, add, take away. .