Counting to 10: Your First Big Math Adventure
Hold up your two hands. Wiggle your fingers. You have 10 of them! That is not an accident. Long, long ago, people counted on their fingers, and that is why we use 10 numbers to count almost everything. Today you will learn to count to 10, and once you can do that, you can count anything: cookies on a plate, ducks in a pond, or stars you can see out your window.
What You'll Learn
By the end of this lesson you will be able to: - Say the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 in the right order. - Point to each thing and say ONE number for each (this is called one-to-one counting). - Know that the LAST number you say tells you how many there are.
One Finger, One Number
The big secret of counting is this: you touch ONE thing and say ONE number. Then the next thing, the next number. Let's count 3 teddy bears. Touch the first bear and say 'one.' Touch the next bear and say 'two.' Touch the last bear and say 'three.' There are 3 bears! If you skip a bear or say two numbers for one bear, you get a wrong answer. Slow and careful wins.
Move each thing into a line as you count it. That way you never count the same one twice!
The Last Number Is the Answer
When you count 5 apples, you say 'one, two, three, four, five.' The number FIVE is special. It is the last number, and it tells you how many apples there are in the whole group. So when someone asks 'how many?', you count them all and then say your last number nice and loud.
Match each group to its number.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
You count some ducks: 'one, two, three, four.' How many ducks are there?
What is the smart way to count 6 blocks?
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
The Snack Count
Ask a grown-up for a small snack like crackers or grapes (fewer than 10). Line them up in a row. Touch each one and count out loud: one, two, three... Say the last number loudly. Then draw that many circles on paper and write the number next to it. You just made a counting picture!
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