If you have been using RightStart Mathematics for even the shortest amount of time, you realize that Dr. Cotter focuses on helping students to subitize quantities from one through five and then beyond by grouping the quantities in fives because of the grouping of fives by color.
New research has discovered why humans easily see quantities one through four but struggle with higher quantities. Interestingly, there are neurons that fire for specific amounts up to the quantity of four. For quantities over four, there is confusion among the neurons. For example, if a person sees eight items, the neurons associated with seven, eight, and nine will fire.
Though the researchers were not focused on grouping quantities by color, the results may help us understand how grouping in fives by color will help our students excel at subitizing larger quantities. For more information, please read the article in Nature.
If you would like to see how RightStart Math can help your students improve their math skills, contact us.
