Lesson 1.5 · Counting to 10
Counting in any order
Things are not always in a neat line. Toys get spread all over the floor! Good news: you can count them in any order, and you still get the same number.
Start anywhere
Look at these 4 balls.
⚽ 🏀 🎾 🏐
You can count from left to right: one, two, three, four. Or from right to left: one, two, three, four. Both ways give 4.
Any order works
You can count things in any order. If you count each thing once, you always get the same number.
Moving things around does not change how many there are.
Mixed-up groups
When things are spread out, keep track of what you already counted. You can move each thing to the side as you count it, or cross it off.
Worked example: Spread-out bugs
How many bugs?
🐞 🐞
🐞 🐞
🐞
Count each bug once, in any order: one, two, three, four, five. There are 5 bugs.
Worked example: Move them around
Leo has 6 blocks in a row: 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱 🧱
He piles them in two stacks: 🧱 🧱 🧱 and 🧱 🧱 🧱
How many blocks now? Count: one, two, three, four, five, six. Still 6. Moving them did not change the number.
Common mistake
In a mixed-up group, it is easy to count one thing twice or skip one. Move or mark each thing as you count it.
Tip
Count a second time, starting from a different thing. If you get the same number, you are right.
Practice
How many leaves?
🍃 🍃
🍃
🍃 🍃
Type a number.
Ana counts her shells from left to right and gets 4. Then she counts them from right to left. What number does she get?
Type a number.
How many stars?
⭐ ⭐ ⭐
⭐ ⭐
⭐ ⭐
Type a number.
Max has 5 cars in a line. He moves them into a circle. How many cars does he have now?
How many cupcakes?
🧁 🧁
🧁 🧁
🧁 🧁
Type a number.
Zoe counts 🐥 🐥 🐥 and says "one, two, three, four." What went wrong?
How many fish?
🐠 🐠 🐠
🐠 🐠 🐠
🐠 🐠 🐠
Type a number.