Numbers and quantity

Also called Quantity words, Counting vocabulary, How many

More, less, some, all, another, and the numbers themselves. Quantity words matter every day; counting to twenty on a board matters mostly in a maths lesson.

What it is

Numbers and quantity words are the vocabulary of how much and how many: more, less, all, some, none, another, a bit, lots, too much, enough, and the number words one to ten and beyond. They tell a listener not just what a person wants but how much of it, which is the difference between a cup of tea and a top-up.

The quantity words and the number words are different things. "More" is one of the most used words in any early vocabulary. "Seven" is used mostly in school.

Who it can help

Everyone, from the start. "More" is often the first word taught on a board because it can be applied to anything and it works. "All done", "another" and "enough" follow closely. Number words help children in school, adults handling money and time, and anyone who wants to say "two sugars" rather than watch the spoon.

They are not a maths curriculum. A board is where a person says "two biscuits"; it is not where they learn what two is, and drilling counting on a device does not improve either.

How it works

Quantity words are relative and combine with anything: "more" plus any noun, "all" plus "finished", "too much" plus "noise". They are usually placed with the core words and colour-coded as describers. See describing words.

Number words are usually a strip of digits on their own page, often with a big-key keyboard alongside for typing longer numbers, since nobody wants a card for every number. A number followed by a noun reads naturally: "three" plus "biscuit" is understood.

On the Talk board, "more", "all", "another" and "a bit" sit with the needs and describing cards, and the big-key keyboard types any number that needs typing.

Getting started

This week, model "more" and "finished" at every meal and every game, and honour "more" when it is pressed. Add "another", "all", "some" and "enough" once "more" is reliable, and model them the same way.

Use number words for real purposes: "two" plus "sugar", "one" plus "more", "five" plus "minutes" with a visible timer.

In school, put the number strip on the board for maths and take the pressure off: the child's job is to say the answer, not to find the card while the class waits.

Where to get help

Speech and Language UK on early concept words. Communication Matters for AAC vocabulary. For maths in school with a communication need, the school's SENCO and the Council for Disabled Children are the routes.