Take two or three hands-up answers, not open call-outs. Steer toward 'one picture for each one' — that is the whole idea of today's lesson. If you prefer, do a quick show of hands for one pet first so the numbers are genuinely the room's. Keep it brief; the building happens in the next step.

Walk each row aloud, one at a time.

• Dog (5) — point to each symbol and count one, two, three, four, five; one picture per dog.
• Cat (3) — emphasise that the number of symbols IS the count.
• Fish (6) — note this is the longest row, so it is the most common pet.
• Rabbit (0) — an empty row still belongs; zero is a real count.

Run a finger along the left edge to show every row starts at the same line.

This round is for talking it through together — pupils take turns at the board and the class agrees or corrects out loud.

Call a pupil up to build each row, one row per pupil. Before they place, ask the whole class to predict how many symbols that row needs and take the answer from the watching pupils. Watch for two slips: symbols drifting to different sizes, and a row starting further along than the one above. Each picture is one — so count the pictures.

This round is the practice bank — pupils take turns at the board, check each answer, and the class confirms before moving on. Keep the board work brisk rather than over-explaining.

For each target, ask the watching class to predict how many symbols are needed and take that answer aloud, then a pupil builds and presses Check. The callout to keep returning to: what keeps your symbols lined up so the rows are fair to compare? The 12-row is the longest, so check it does not drift past the right edge.

Recap the three points briefly. A zero row is still a row — flag it once more if any pupil left the rabbit row out.