In Kindergarten, our Mathematics lessons are all about engaging hands-on experiences involving counting, subitising (recognising small collections instantly), composing and decomposing numbers to 20 and developing our mathematical reasoning. A rekenrek is a wonderful tool that allows our students to work on all these skills. It looks a bit like an abacus with a small but powerful difference - the colour change. The colour changes after 5 beads so that children can subitise easier and relate quantities to the benchmarks of 5 and 10. This week, our Kindergarten students were introduced to rekenreks in the best possible way - by making their own personalised rekenreks from simple craft materials. We have been using them daily and we can't get enough of rekenrek fun!

Magda Buckley, Brianne Hoitink & Kathy Bailey
Kindergarten Teachers