photo by procilas

Primary Scenario Objectives – What Clients Should Learn

• How to count out loud from zero to one million+
• Clients with experience pronouncing numbers may want to practice reading and/or writing numbers (the activity to address this possible objective is the final one below)

From the Refugee Perspective – Cultural Norms 

• Your client would probably benefit from understanding some of the different ways numbers are communicated out loud, read, or written in English. For example, the number 1132 may be pronouced as “one thousand one hundred and thirty-two” if it references a count of something such as money, or as “one one three two” if it references an address or perhaps a raffle ticket number.
• A dozen=12, a baker’s dozen=13, a score=a group of 20, a couple=two, etc.

Scenario Activities

Name that Number

Items needed to complete activity: several 3×5 notecards, two sheets of paper, and a marker.

• Before meeting with your client, on each notecard, write any number from zero to one hundred, not repeating any numbers.
• Also before you meet with your client, on a sheet of paper that will serve as a handout, write out a nicely-printed list of the following numbers: 0-21, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, and 101. Next to each number, you may also want to write out the English spelling of each number because that may help with pronunciation.
• Just spend some time going over the pronunciation of each number on the list, and gradually your client will become comfortable with inferring the pronunciation of the “missing” numbers in the zero to one hundred set on the handout.

• When you think he or she is ready, you can prepare one more handout to aid in completing this activity. Write out several “quiz” multiple choice questions in this format: A) 29 14 3 78
B) 99 100 1 15 etc.
• Write down one number from each group of four, along with the letter representing each group on a notecard that will serve as your answer key.
• Give your client the “quiz” handout and then read off one number at a time from your answer key while he or she tries to circle the corresponding printed number on the handout.

• Check the handout for errors and discuss as needed.

Name that Number II

Complete as above, with adjustments to accommodate one major change. The first handout should include the following numbers in order for this activity to build upon the previous one: 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1,000, 1,100, 10,000, 100,000, 500,000, 1,000,000, and 2,000,000.

Number Hunt

No special items needed.

• Ask your client to locate particular numbers of items that you know to be located where you are meeting. Items such as Q-tips, spoons, and socks may work well. You can even ramp up the fun factor by making this activity into a numbers scavenger hunt for younger clients.

Help Wanted

A copy of the help wanted advertisements from a local newspaper, a pencil and a sheet of paper are needed to complete this activity.

• Sit down with your client and look at a page of help wanted advertisements together.
• Ask him or her to read the numbers in the ads, such as pay ranges, addresses, and phone numbers out loud.

• Give him or her the paper and pencil and ask that he or she practice writing down the numbers from the ads as you read them slowly out loud.

Essential Vocabulary

zero-ten, then other words for numbers as needed
number(s)
count
couple
few
some
dozen
many
all
none