Developing a deep understanding of the connection between numerals and quantity is an important foundation for all mathematical work. Fiete Math breaks this skill down into very manageable steps and adds a dash of humor to make it more engaging for kids. On an ocean dock, users will find a collection of blocks. If they are single blocks, they are marked with the number 1. If there are two attached blocks, those are marked with a 2 and so on. A boat pulls up to the dock and (with a numeral in the sky above the boat) asks for a certain number of blocks. Players must stick that many blocks together (or slice off enough blocks from a larger group to make the smaller number requested) before they can load the blocks onto the boat. As players progress through the levels, they are sometimes rewarded with new block shapes, still based on a squarish shape, but designed to look like different animals instead of just a square. Keep an eye out for some silly visitors to the dock who are carrying some crazy cargo as they walk by your loading zone!
