Subitizing, Place Value, and Popsicle Sticks in 4th Grade Math with Jen Adelman

Quick! How many dots are there? 

Without counting, you knew there were 6 dots. This is subitizing in action! Your brain has associated the dot patterns on dice with numbers 1 - 6 and now when you roll, you instantly know what number it is. No counting required!

Let’s take it a step further with an example that Jen Adelman, Lower School Math Specialist, recently used in her 4th grade math class.

15! You can instantly recognize the tally mark pattern (a.k.a. five-bar gates) and know you’re working with 3 sets of 5, eliminating the need to count each individual tally mark. Instead, you can count by 5s or find the sum/product of three groups of 5. This not only saves time but also helps you visualize quantities more efficiently, which is the power of subitizing!  

Recently, Jen led a subitizing activity in her 4th grade math class to help her students grasp the magnitude of place value. The class was given a large box of loose popsicle sticks and were asked to organize them into subitized sets, driving them to find the quantity based on recognizing the patterns instead of counting each stick. This activity reinforced their understanding of subitizing with small sets, while also challenging them to apply the concept to larger patterned sets, such as 100 and even 1,000.

The class worked together to group the popsicle sticks into five-bar gates, then into groups of 10, then into groups of 100, and finally into groups of 1000. When at last they had grouped as many popsicle sticks as they could, they counted the groups they had of each remaining: 2 thousands, 4 hundreds, 0 tens, and 1 one. Within seconds of looking at their place value groupings, they knew the total number of popsicle sticks was 2,401. 

 

Jen opts to use popsicle sticks before moving to base-ten blocks because they provide students with a tangible sense of place value. Students are able to physically bundle and unbundle the sticks to form groups of 10 or 100, and, as the place value increases, the size and weight of craft sticks increase in proportion to their new value. This hands-on approach not only engages their senses but also deepens their understanding of place value in a more dynamic way than base-ten blocks alone. 

One of Jen’s primary goals as a Lower School Math Specialist is to help students build a solid foundation in mathematical thinking. By strengthening their understanding of fundamental concepts, Jen ensures that students are well-prepared for more advanced math topics later on. Strategies like subitizing play a key role in this process, helping students develop a stronger number sense and become more fluent in mathematical reasoning. These foundational skills not only support their current learning but also pave the way for deeper comprehension as they tackle more complex mathematical concepts.