Primary 1 · Mathematics · Number
Sharing and grouping
Sharing a collection equally between people and making equal groups, using real objects to see that some collections share evenly and some have leftovers.
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These lessons were written around Australian Curriculum strands and matched to Singapore levels by age (Primary 1 is the first year of primary school). They are not aligned to MOE syllabuses or the PSLE, so check them against the syllabus your child is working towards.
Learning goals
Learners will
- Share a collection equally between a number of people, one at a time.
- Make equal groups of a given size from a collection.
- Notice when a collection shares evenly and when there are leftovers.
Success looks like
- I can share things out fairly so everyone gets the same.
- I can make groups that all have the same number in them.
- I can tell you if there are any left over.
The big idea
Sharing and grouping are the first steps towards division. Children use real objects to see what it means for every share or group to be equal.
Sharing means giving a collection out fairly. Set out a plate for each toy. Give out the items one at a time: one for you, one for you, one for you, then back to the start. Keep going until the items run out, then count each plate.
If every plate has the same number, the sharing is fair or equal. 12 crackers shared between 3 toys gives 4 crackers each.
Sometimes a collection does not share evenly. 7 grapes shared between 2 people gives 3 each with 1 left over. Talk about what to do with leftovers in real life — cut it in half, save it, or give it to someone else.
Grouping asks a different question: how many groups can we make? 'We have 10 socks. How many pairs (groups of 2) can we make?' Make a group of 2, then another, until the socks run out, and count the groups: 5 pairs.
Both kinds of question use equal groups. In sharing, we know how many groups and find how many in each. In grouping, we know how many in each group and find how many groups.
- Sharing: 8 shared between 2 is 4 each.
- Grouping: 8 in groups of 2 makes 4 groups.
- Some numbers do not share evenly and have leftovers.
Worked examples
Sharing crackers
Share 12 crackers fairly between 3 teddies. How many does each teddy get?
- Put out 3 plates, one for each teddy.
- Deal the crackers one at a time onto each plate in turn.
- When all 12 crackers are dealt, count each plate: 4, 4 and 4.
Answer: Each teddy gets 4 crackers.
Making groups
There are 10 shoes. How many pairs (groups of 2) are there?
- Take 2 shoes and put them together. That is 1 pair.
- Keep making groups of 2 until no shoes are left.
- Count the groups: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Answer: There are 5 pairs of shoes.
A share with leftovers
Share 7 strawberries between 2 children. Is it fair?
- Give one strawberry to each child in turn.
- After 6 strawberries, each child has 3.
- There is 1 strawberry left, and it cannot go to just one child fairly.
Answer: Each child gets 3 strawberries and 1 is left over.
Practice check
Have a go, then check your answers. Each answer comes with an explanation.
Answer guide for parents
Share 6 apples equally between 2 children. How many apples does each child get?
3 — Deal them out one at a time: each child ends up with 3. 3 and 3 make 6.
Share 8 blocks equally between 4 toys. How many blocks does each toy get?
2 — Dealing 8 blocks to 4 toys gives each toy 2 blocks. 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8.
Mia has 3 grapes and Leo has 5 grapes. Is this a fair share?
No, it is not fair — A fair share means everyone gets the same number. 3 and 5 are not the same.
There are 12 eggs. How many groups of 3 can you make?
4 — Count in threes: 3, 6, 9, 12. That is 4 groups of 3.
Share 5 biscuits between 2 people. What happens?
Each gets 2 and 1 is left over — After giving 2 each (4 biscuits), there is 1 biscuit left over.
There are 10 socks. How many pairs (groups of 2) can you make?
5 — Count in twos: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. That is 5 pairs.
Which number of pencils can be shared equally between 2 children with none left over?
8 — 8 shares into 4 and 4. The odd numbers 7, 9 and 5 each leave 1 over.
15 marbles are shared equally between 3 friends. How many marbles does each friend get?
5 — Deal them out one at a time: each friend gets 5. 5 + 5 + 5 = 15.
Watch out for
- Thinking sharing means everyone gets 'some' rather than the same number. Count each share and compare to check it is fair.
- Giving out handfuls instead of one at a time, which makes shares unequal. Model dealing one at a time, like dealing cards.
- Believing every collection will share evenly. Try numbers like 7 or 11 to show leftovers happen.
Tips for parents
- Snack time is ideal: let your child share crackers or fruit pieces between family members.
- Ask 'Is it fair? How do you know?' so your child checks by counting each share.
- Use both kinds of question: 'How many each?' (sharing) and 'How many groups?' (grouping).
Go further
- Deal a pack of cards between 2, 3 or 4 players and check whether everyone gets the same number.
- Find out which numbers from 1 to 20 can be shared fairly between 2 people with nothing left over.
- Pack 'party bags' with equal numbers of small items in each and count how many bags you can make.
About 30 minutes
You'll need
- 20 small items such as pasta, buttons, crackers or blocks
- 3 or 4 small plates, bowls or paper circles
- 2 to 4 soft toys to 'share' with
- A small cup for leftovers
Key words
- share
- Give out a collection so each person gets some.
- equal
- The same number or the same amount.
- fair
- When everyone gets an equal share.
- group
- A small set of things kept together.
- leftover
- Things that remain when they cannot be shared equally.
Still tricky?
For parents
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