Here is a nice little investigation for young children which will show how well they can organise their thinking and work in a logical way.
The question is simple: how many different ways can you score 8 when throwing two dice?
It’s always a good idea to sit down with your children when doing this type of activity. In this way you can ask questions which will help them clarify their thoughts. The sheet is designed to be used as a record of results. At first they might just keep rolling the dice and adding up the totals until a total of 8 is achieved. Other children might dive straight in with some answers eg 4 + 4 makes 8.
A good question to ask at the end is “How do you know that you have got all the possibilities?