In a nutshell
The ENSSA Numeral–Quantity Match task involves recognising quantities shown in structured or unstructured arrangements and linking them to numerals. Although the screening task focuses on numeral–quantity matching, follow-up instruction may need to strengthen a broader set of early number skills, including accurate counting, numeral recognition, subitising, groupitising, and matching quantities to numerals.
In Foundation, students develop subitising: instantly recognising small quantities, usually up to about 4, without counting-by-ones. With structured representations such as fingers, dice patterns, five-frames and ten-frames, students also begin recognising larger quantities by seeing smaller groups within the whole. As quantities become larger, students develop groupitising: recognising smaller groups or patterns within the whole quantity and combining them mentally.
These skills develop alongside counting and support later number understanding, arithmetic, and mental computation.
When students use groups to determine “how many,” the focus is quantifying. When students deliberately break a whole into parts or work out a hidden or missing part, see Decomposing Numbers.
This guidance is designed for classes where ENSSA results indicate a class-wide need to strengthen early counting, quantifying, numeral recognition, or numeral–quantity matching.
See also: Decomposing Numbers and Magnitude Comparison
Teaching guidance
06Resources for all teachers (Tier 1)View resourceHide resource↓
For schools and teachers using Ochre curriculum materials
Choose the curriculum used by your school, then find the relevant Foundation or Year 1 resource.
Make sure you’re logged into Ochre first, then open the resource link.
This section is for teachers using Ochre units as part of Tier 1 mathematics instruction in Victorian Curriculum settings, including MACS and CESL schools.
Use Ochre unit lessons when students need teaching or reteaching. Use Ochre Daily Review when students have already been taught the skill and need practice, reactivation or fluency-building.
Step 1: Where does this sit in your teaching sequence?
The skill has not yet been taught and is coming up soon
Let the scheduled Ochre lesson address it. Consider brief pre-teaching for students flagged by ENSSA.
The skill has not yet been taught and is scheduled much later this year
Consider bringing the relevant lesson section forward for flagged students only — check prerequisite lessons first.
The skill has already been taught
Go to Step 2 below.
The skill was taught a while ago, last term or last year
Start with Daily Review as a quick reactivation and accuracy check. If students are still inaccurate, go to Step 2.
Step 2: How are students performing right now?
Use this once you’ve confirmed the skill has already been taught.
Students are inaccurate or unsure
Use the Ochre unit lesson section first — not Daily Review.
Most students are inaccurate
Reteach the relevant modelling/guided-practice section to the whole class.
A few students are inaccurate but most are secure
Use the lesson section for small-group reteaching with flagged students only.
Students are accurate but slow or inconsistent
Use Daily Review — do not run a full reteach.
Has this skill been introduced?
This only asks about timing. Whether the class is accurate is something Daily Review over the next few days will show; it does not need to be judged in advance.
Yes
Use the Daily Review resource below, every day, for an initial five consecutive instructional days, regardless of how accurate the class is assumed to be.
No, but it is coming soon
Do not start Daily Review yet. Read the background sections (Teaching guidance; Vocabulary, representations and stem sentences) and preview the unit lesson below now, ahead of when it is scheduled.
No, and it is not scheduled soon
Check curriculum sequencing and prerequisite knowledge. Consider brief, targeted pre-teaching for the students ENSSA flagged, not a full classwide response ahead of schedule.
After five days of Daily Review
One brief daily note is enough: accuracy, independence and efficiency, not a per-student written record.
Clear improvement, not yet secure
Continue the same Daily Review resource.
Most accurate and increasingly efficient
Continue Daily Review as ongoing cumulative practice; no full reteach is needed.
Most students remain inaccurate or dependent on support
Use the unit lesson section to teach it explicitly, not Daily Review.
Most students are secure, but the same smaller group persists
Keep whole-class Daily Review; use the unit lesson materials with that group specifically.
Foundation
Build foundations for this skill.
FN01V Counting and place value 1Use this when Foundation students are inaccurate or unsure counting collections, matching quantities to numerals, or recognising small structured quantities.
FN01V Counting and place value 1
The closest Foundation Ochre unit for early counting, quantity, numeral recognition and subitising. Covers counting collections to 5 and 10, representing numbers on five-/ten-frames, matching collections to numerals, subitising, and comparing small collections.
Counting collections, five-/ten-frame representation, numeral matching and subitising lessons.
- If students miscount collections → use the counting collections lessons.
- If students can count but cannot match the quantity to a numeral → use the numeral matching lessons.
- If students count every small collection one by one → use the subitising and five-/ten-frame lessons.
FN03V Counting and place value 2Use this when students are secure with numbers to 10 and need teaching or reteaching with teen numbers and quantities to 20.
FN03V Counting and place value 2
Extends counting, numeral recognition and quantity work to teen numbers and quantities to 20.
Counting, representing and matching numerals/collections to 20.
Do not start here if students are not yet accurate with quantities and numerals to 10 — begin with FN01V.
Number–Place Value Daily Review deckUse this when students have already been taught the skill and need short, high-response practice.
Daily Review Topic Deck: Number – Place Value
Brief review of counting forwards/backwards, counting collections, five-/ten-frame representation, matching collections to numerals, subitising and reading/writing numerals.
- If students are accurate but slow → use Daily Review.
- If students are inaccurate → return to FN01V (Foundation) or 1N03V (Year 1) lesson sections first.
Year 1
Extend this skill through Year 1.
Number–Place Value Daily Review deckUse this when students have already been taught the skill and need short, high-response practice.
Daily Review Topic Deck: Number – Place Value
Brief review of counting forwards/backwards, counting collections, five-/ten-frame representation, matching collections to numerals, subitising and reading/writing numerals.
- If students are accurate but slow → use Daily Review.
- If students are inaccurate → return to FN01V (Foundation) or 1N03V (Year 1) lesson sections first.
1N03V Counting and place value 2, Lessons 1–2Use this when Year 1 students need teaching or reteaching with two-digit numerals and representations.
1N03V Counting and place value 2, Lessons 1–2
Supports Year 1 numeral recognition and quantity-representation links through reading/writing two-digit numbers and matching two-digit numbers to representations.
Lessons 1–2.
This section is for teachers using Ochre units as part of Tier 1 mathematics instruction in WA Curriculum v9.0 settings. WA Curriculum calls Foundation year “Pre-Primary.”
Ochre does not yet publish a separate WA-specific resource library. WA unit codes (PPN01W, 1N02W, and so on) map directly to the equivalent Australian Curriculum unit, so the buttons on these cards open the same Foundation and Year 1 Ochre pages as the Australian Curriculum tab.
Use Ochre unit lessons when students need teaching or reteaching. Use Ochre Daily Review when students have already been taught the skill and need practice, reactivation or fluency-building.
Step 1: Where does this sit in your teaching sequence?
The skill has not yet been taught and is coming up soon
Let the scheduled Ochre lesson address it. Consider brief pre-teaching for students flagged by ENSSA.
The skill has not yet been taught and is scheduled much later this year
Consider bringing the relevant lesson section forward for flagged students only — check prerequisite lessons first.
The skill has already been taught
Go to Step 2 below.
The skill was taught a while ago, last term or last year
Start with Daily Review as a quick reactivation and accuracy check. If students are still inaccurate, go to Step 2.
Step 2: How are students performing right now?
Use this once you’ve confirmed the skill has already been taught.
Students are inaccurate or unsure
Use the Ochre unit lesson section first — not Daily Review.
Most students are inaccurate
Reteach the relevant modelling/guided-practice section to the whole class.
A few students are inaccurate but most are secure
Use the lesson section for small-group reteaching with flagged students only.
Students are accurate but slow or inconsistent
Use Daily Review — do not run a full reteach.
Has this skill been introduced?
This only asks about timing. Whether the class is accurate is something Daily Review over the next few days will show; it does not need to be judged in advance.
Yes
Use the Daily Review resource below, every day, for an initial five consecutive instructional days, regardless of how accurate the class is assumed to be.
No, but it is coming soon
Do not start Daily Review yet. Read the background sections (Teaching guidance; Vocabulary, representations and stem sentences) and preview the unit lesson below now, ahead of when it is scheduled.
No, and it is not scheduled soon
Check curriculum sequencing and prerequisite knowledge. Consider brief, targeted pre-teaching for the students ENSSA flagged, not a full classwide response ahead of schedule.
After five days of Daily Review
One brief daily note is enough: accuracy, independence and efficiency, not a per-student written record.
Clear improvement, not yet secure
Continue the same Daily Review resource.
Most accurate and increasingly efficient
Continue Daily Review as ongoing cumulative practice; no full reteach is needed.
Most students remain inaccurate or dependent on support
Use the unit lesson section to teach it explicitly, not Daily Review.
Most students are secure, but the same smaller group persists
Keep whole-class Daily Review; use the unit lesson materials with that group specifically.
Foundation
Build foundations for this skill.
PPN01W Counting and place value 1Use this when Pre-Primary students are inaccurate or unsure counting collections, matching quantities to numerals, or recognising small structured quantities.
PPN01W Counting and place value 1 (links to the Australian Curriculum unit FN01A in Ochre)
The closest Pre-Primary Ochre unit for early counting, quantity, numeral recognition and subitising. Covers counting collections to 5 and 10, representing numbers on five-/ten-frames, matching collections to numerals, subitising, and comparing small collections.
Counting collections, five-/ten-frame representation, numeral matching and subitising lessons (Lessons 2–4, 9–12).
- If students miscount collections → use the counting collections lessons.
- If students can count but cannot match the quantity to a numeral → use the numeral matching lessons.
- If students count every small collection one by one → use the subitising and five-/ten-frame lessons.
PPN03W Counting and place value 2Use this when students are secure with numbers to 10 and need teaching or reteaching with teen numbers and quantities to 20.
PPN03W Counting and place value 2 (links to the Australian Curriculum unit FN03A in Ochre)
Extends counting, numeral recognition and quantity work to teen numbers and quantities to 20.
Counting, representing and matching numerals/collections to 20 (Lessons 1–6).
Do not start here if students are not yet accurate with quantities and numerals to 10 — begin with PPN01W.
Number–Place Value Daily Review deckUse this when students have already been taught the skill and need short, high-response practice.
Daily Review Topic Deck: Number – Place Value
Brief review of counting forwards/backwards, counting collections, five-/ten-frame representation, matching collections to numerals, subitising and reading/writing numerals.
- If students are accurate but slow → use Daily Review.
- If students are inaccurate → return to PPN01W (Pre-Primary) or 1N03W (Year 1) lesson sections first.
Year 1
Extend this skill through Year 1.
Number–Place Value Daily Review deckUse this when students have already been taught the skill and need short, high-response practice.
Daily Review Topic Deck: Number – Place Value
Brief review of counting forwards/backwards, counting collections, five-/ten-frame representation, matching collections to numerals, subitising and reading/writing numerals.
- If students are accurate but slow → use Daily Review.
- If students are inaccurate → return to PPN01W (Pre-Primary) or 1N03W (Year 1) lesson sections first.
1N03W Counting and place value 2, Lessons 1–2Use this when Year 1 students need teaching or reteaching with two-digit numerals and representations.
1N03W Counting and place value 2, Lessons 1–2 (links to the Australian Curriculum unit 1N03A in Ochre)
Supports Year 1 numeral recognition and quantity-representation links through reading/writing two-digit numbers and matching two-digit numbers to representations.
Lessons 1–2.
This section is for teachers using Ochre units as part of Tier 1 mathematics instruction in Australian Curriculum v9.0 settings.
Use Ochre unit lessons when students need teaching or reteaching. Use Ochre Daily Review when students have already been taught the skill and need practice, reactivation or fluency-building.
Step 1: Where does this sit in your teaching sequence?
The skill has not yet been taught and is coming up soon
Let the scheduled Ochre lesson address it. Consider brief pre-teaching for students flagged by ENSSA.
The skill has not yet been taught and is scheduled much later this year
Consider bringing the relevant lesson section forward for flagged students only — check prerequisite lessons first.
The skill has already been taught
Go to Step 2 below.
The skill was taught a while ago, last term or last year
Start with Daily Review as a quick reactivation and accuracy check. If students are still inaccurate, go to Step 2.
Step 2: How are students performing right now?
Use this once you’ve confirmed the skill has already been taught.
Students are inaccurate or unsure
Use the Ochre unit lesson section first — not Daily Review.
Most students are inaccurate
Reteach the relevant modelling/guided-practice section to the whole class.
A few students are inaccurate but most are secure
Use the lesson section for small-group reteaching with flagged students only.
Students are accurate but slow or inconsistent
Use Daily Review — do not run a full reteach.
Has this skill been introduced?
This only asks about timing. Whether the class is accurate is something Daily Review over the next few days will show; it does not need to be judged in advance.
Yes
Use the Daily Review resource below, every day, for an initial five consecutive instructional days, regardless of how accurate the class is assumed to be.
No, but it is coming soon
Do not start Daily Review yet. Read the background sections (Teaching guidance; Vocabulary, representations and stem sentences) and preview the unit lesson below now, ahead of when it is scheduled.
No, and it is not scheduled soon
Check curriculum sequencing and prerequisite knowledge. Consider brief, targeted pre-teaching for the students ENSSA flagged, not a full classwide response ahead of schedule.
After five days of Daily Review
One brief daily note is enough: accuracy, independence and efficiency, not a per-student written record.
Clear improvement, not yet secure
Continue the same Daily Review resource.
Most accurate and increasingly efficient
Continue Daily Review as ongoing cumulative practice; no full reteach is needed.
Most students remain inaccurate or dependent on support
Use the unit lesson section to teach it explicitly, not Daily Review.
Most students are secure, but the same smaller group persists
Keep whole-class Daily Review; use the unit lesson materials with that group specifically.
Foundation
Build foundations for this skill.
FN01A Counting and place value 1Use this when Foundation students are inaccurate or unsure counting collections, matching quantities to numerals, or recognising small structured quantities.
FN01A Counting and place value 1
The closest Foundation Ochre unit for early counting, quantity, numeral recognition and subitising. Covers counting collections to 5 and 10, representing numbers on five-/ten-frames, matching collections to numerals, subitising, and comparing small collections.
Counting collections, five-/ten-frame representation, numeral matching and subitising lessons (Lessons 2–4, 9–12).
- If students miscount collections → use the counting collections lessons.
- If students can count but cannot match the quantity to a numeral → use the numeral matching lessons.
- If students count every small collection one by one → use the subitising and five-/ten-frame lessons.
FN03A Counting and place value 2Use this when students are secure with numbers to 10 and need teaching or reteaching with teen numbers and quantities to 20.
FN03A Counting and place value 2
Extends counting, numeral recognition and quantity work to teen numbers and quantities to 20.
Counting, representing and matching numerals/collections to 20 (Lessons 1–6).
Do not start here if students are not yet accurate with quantities and numerals to 10 — begin with FN01A.
Number–Place Value Daily Review deckUse this when students have already been taught the skill and need short, high-response practice.
Daily Review Topic Deck: Number – Place Value
Brief review of counting forwards/backwards, counting collections, five-/ten-frame representation, matching collections to numerals, subitising and reading/writing numerals.
- If students are accurate but slow → use Daily Review.
- If students are inaccurate → return to FN01A (Foundation) or 1N03A (Year 1) lesson sections first.
Year 1
Extend this skill through Year 1.
Number–Place Value Daily Review deckUse this when students have already been taught the skill and need short, high-response practice.
Daily Review Topic Deck: Number – Place Value
Brief review of counting forwards/backwards, counting collections, five-/ten-frame representation, matching collections to numerals, subitising and reading/writing numerals.
- If students are accurate but slow → use Daily Review.
- If students are inaccurate → return to FN01A (Foundation) or 1N03A (Year 1) lesson sections first.
1N03A Counting and place value 2, Lessons 1–2Use this when Year 1 students need teaching or reteaching with two-digit numerals and representations.
1N03A Counting and place value 2, Lessons 1–2
Supports Year 1 numeral recognition and quantity-representation links through reading/writing two-digit numbers and matching two-digit numbers to representations.
Lessons 1–2.
Intervention resources (Tier 2 & Tier 3)
Targeted supports for students or small groups when classwide teaching is not enough.
Intervention resources
The Ochre Intervention Modules are Tier 2/3 resources, built on the same Foundation–Year 2 Ochre content already used for Tier 1, for students who need more than classwide or targeted small-group support.
Cardinality, numeral recognition and writingLessons 1–22 · numbers 0–10
Every lesson pairs a counting or numeral task with a number-sequence task, so this module covers counting and numeral recognition together with number sequence, not as separate strands.
Small-group or 1:1, outside the classroom, by a teacher, learning assistant or trained volunteer; approximately 20 minutes per lesson.
Scripted lesson plans, a slide deck per lesson, a student workbook, assessment checkpoints, and explainer or demonstration videos.
This is a Tier 2/3 escalation, not a first response to an ENSSA flag. Use it once targeted small-group support from the Ochre resources has not resolved the gap.
Assessment checkpoints sit at the end of each sequence and indicate whether a student is ready to return to Tier 1 instruction alone.