I want to highlight this blog by Dr Helen J Williams Subitising does not end at Reception (wixsite.com) in it she describes much better than I can the importance of subitising, not just in Early Years. but continuing through the years as part of a learner's developmental "journey".
Where I believe we can push the boundary further, is by exploring the subitising of groups rather than individual items. Consequently using the potential of subitising in the development of multiplicative understanding.
Teachers who know about subitising are using activities with learners to support the development of early number sense. For example we can "see" that there are three circles below without the need to count them.
What perhaps is not being explored is the subitising of groups (that themselves can be subitised) and the visual and mental manipulation of items within this.
For example, in the diagram below - if learners can "see" the three fours ....
..they could, using their understanding of two-fives equal to ten, mentally "move" red circles to enable an amount to be easily "seen". I've used an arrangement similar to the Hungarian tens frame.
In doing so, there is effectively a proof that the value of three fours is equal to twelve.
This is much more powerful for learner's development than trying to just remember an abstract number fact such as 3x4=12.
This mental manipulation of visual images can therefore build upon prior experience of actual manipulatives and the effective use of subitising in the development of number sense and addditive concepts. But I firmly believe there is untapped potential for this to be extended into the realm of developing multiplicative concepts and the fluency of associated number facts.
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