First, second, third
Maths · Early Years · The School
Two kinds of number word
Counting words tell you HOW MANY: one, two, three. Position words tell you WHERE in a line: first, second, third. Both use similar-sounding words, but they answer different questions. "How many buttons?" needs a counting word. "Which one did you touch first?" needs a position word. Try asking both kinds of question about the same toys.
Lining up and naming
Line up four toys in a row. The one at the front is FIRST. The next is SECOND. Then THIRD. Then FOURTH. Point to each one and say its position out loud. Now swap two of the toys around. Their positions change, even though the toys themselves did not. Try it again with a new order.
Last is special
"Last" always means the very end — but which position that is changes every time. In a line of three, last is third. In a line of seven, last is seventh. Last is not a fixed spot. It depends on how long the line is.
Five children run a race. The winner crosses the line FIRST. The next child is SECOND. Then THIRD. Then FOURTH. The final child is FIFTH. That child is also LAST today, because there are five runners. Tomorrow, only three children race. Now the last one home is THIRD, not fifth. Same word, "last". But a different position. The line changed length, so the word points somewhere new.