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Episode 5 · Stories from Ganita House

The Flower Basket

AddingJoining groups

For Ages 4 to 6

Evening pooja is coming and Ajji's plate is empty. Chitra picks five marigolds, Mihir picks four jasmine, and when both bunches join in one basket, they count every flower to be sure.

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Read the story

The same story, told as a comic. Read it together, slowly.

The Ganita house veranda in the early evening, Ajji, Chitra and Mihir on the steps1
In a big, happy house called Ganita, there lived a girl who loved numbers. Her name was Chitra.
Ajji holding the empty pooja plate, with the empty basket on the steps2
Evening pooja was coming, and Ajji's pooja plate was empty. She set the children a job.
AjjiEvening pooja, kanda, and the pooja plate is empty. We need flowers, fresh flowers.
MihirI will pick! I will pick some!
AjjiThen you two have a job. Chitra, the marigold bush. Mihir, the jasmine. Pick, and count as you pick.
ChitraGood. My flowers go on the cloth. Your flowers go on the cloth. We count them one by one.
Chitra at the marigold bush, her bunch of five marigolds on the cloth3
At the marigold bush, Chitra picked slowly, and counted out loud as she picked.
ChitraOne, two, three, four, five.
MihirFive marigolds! Your bunch has five!
Mihir at the jasmine bush, his bunch of four jasmine beside the marigolds4
At the jasmine bush, Mihir picked and counted, and Chitra counted with him.
MihirOne, two, three, four.
ChitraFour jasmine. That is true. I counted them too.
The basket on the steps holding nine flowers: five marigolds and four jasmine joined together5
In went the marigolds, and in went the jasmine, all in one basket.
MihirNow how many, Chitra? How many in all?
ChitraCount the basket with me. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.
MihirNine! Five and four joined make nine!
ChitraFive in one bunch, four in the other. Together in the basket: nine.
The full basket holding twelve flowers, after the three roses joined the nine6
Ajji spotted three roses on the plant by the steps. In went the three roses, in with the nine.
AjjiHold on, kanda. Look at the rose plant by the steps. Three roses. Those too, for the pooja.
ChitraRoses. One, two, three.
MihirThen how many now? Count again, Chitra! All of them!
ChitraAll of them, one by one. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve.
MihirTwelve! Nine and three more makes twelve!
The pooja plate during the counting-back check: the big bunch of nine tipped out, five marigolds and four jasmine, with room left for the three roses7
Only after both joins were counted did Ajji name the idea, and Chitra checked it the counting-back way.
AjjiGrown-ups call this adding, kanda. Two groups join into one, and adding tells us how many in all.
MihirLike the park! My friends come, your friends come, and we count everybody together!
ChitraAnd like counting spoons at dinner. One for everybody, counted all together.
ChitraOne last count, the counting-back way. Tip them out. The big bunch: nine. The roses: three. Nine and three is twelve.
The full pooja plate with twelve flowers, ready for the evening pooja8
The plate was full, every count had agreed, and Mihir was already thinking about tomorrow.
AjjiGood flowers, good counting. The pooja can start now.
MihirTomorrow, can we count what happens when things go away?
ChitraTomorrow, Mihir. Tomorrow we count again.
ChitraProven.

Try the math

Join the bunches, then count

Two bunches apart: 5 and 4

Chitra's bunch

5 marigolds

Mihir's bunch

4 jasmine

Your Turn

Tomorrow, Chitra picks 6 marigolds and Mihir picks 3 jasmine for the morning pooja. How many flowers will the basket hold when the bunches join? Then Ajji adds 2 roses. How many in all now?

Off-screen activity

At home: put five spoons in one group and four cups in another. Ask your child how many there will be when the groups join, then join them and count every one together. Was the guess right?

Chitra

For parents

Today's idea was adding, joining groups together. Five marigolds and four jasmine joined in one basket and made nine, then three roses joined and made twelve, and every total was proved by counting all the flowers after they came together.

Ask at dinner: what did we join together today, and how many did it make in all?