This is probably one of the best ways of helping your child develop their number sense to 100 this year.  Please practice counting on a regular basis.

Objective:

  • Students learn that it does not matter if you are counting by 1s, 2s, 5s, or 10s, if you are counting correctly, you should always arrive at the same answer if you do not add or subtract objects when counting.  (E.g.: If I count a lower number, did I drop something on the floor?). This is called object permanence.
  • Students develop speed, accuracy and confidence in counting by 1s,2s, 5s and 10s.

What to do:

  • Start with small collections of less than 40 in the beginning.
  • Have students count by 1s and write down their answer.
  • Have students count by 2s and write down their answer.
  • Have students count by 5s and write down their answer.
  • Have students count by 10s and write down their answer.

Discussion:

  • What do you notice about your answers?
  • Why do you think you got those answers?
  • Do you feel you need to recount any of your answers?

Follow up

Try counting collections of different sizes.  For example, count books one day, stuffies another, Lego blocks a third day.  Students will learn that numbers do not change regardless of size.  One book, one stuffy, and one Lego brick may be different sizes but they represent the same number.  It can be confusing at first to see 40 Legos that can fit in two hands yet 40 books are too heavy to carry.

Try counting larger collections once counting up to 50  by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s becomes automatic.  Try collections up to 100.  Too easy?  Try collections greater than 100.

Extra bonus:  Try counting by 3s or by 4s.  This will help as students start practicing repeated addition and preparing for multiplication in the spring.