The mathematical term for counting the egg boxes (rather than opening the boxes and counting individual eggs) is 'unitising'. This means treating groups that contain, or represent, the same numbers of things as 'units' or 'ones'. Being able to 'unitise' is fundamental in handling money and in understanding place value.

What is unitizing in fractions?

Unitising is a strategy that can be used to work out another quantity that relates to the unit selected. It involves the understanding of partitioning and equivalence of fractions to develop flexible thinking about fraction situations. ... The unit could be the case, a dozen, six-pack, or the individual bottles.

Why is unitizing important in math?

As their counting becomes more accurate and sophisticated, they will develop a more efficient counting strategy known as unitizing. Rather than count by one each object, students will see that grouping objects by a set number results in faster and more efficient counting.