Counting Buddies: Numbers 1 to 20
Look at your hands. Ten fingers! Now grab a friend and look at both sets of hands together — twenty fingers! Counting past 10 isn't scary once you see it's just your two hands, twice. Today we count all the way up to 20, one buddy at a time.
What You'll Learn
- How to count out loud from 1 to 20 in order - How to count real objects without skipping or repeating - What number comes right before and right after any number up to 20 - How to compare two groups to see which has more
Counting One at a Time
When we count objects, we touch each one exactly once and say one number. Touch a block, say 'one.' Touch the next block, say 'two.' If you touch a block twice, you'll get the wrong answer! This careful one-touch, one-number habit is called one-to-one correspondence, and it's the biggest secret to counting correctly.
After 10 Comes... Teen Numbers!
11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 are called the 'teen' numbers because they all end in '-teen.' Each teen number is just 10 plus a small number: 13 is 10 and 3 more, 17 is 10 and 7 more. Thinking of teens as '10 and a few more' makes them much easier to remember.
Before and After
Every number (except 1) has a number right before it, and every number (except 20 in our count) has a number right after it. The number before 15 is 14. The number after 15 is 16. Practicing 'before and after' helps you know your number order without having to start counting from 1 every time.
Clap once for every number as you count out loud. Clapping makes counting feel like a game and helps you keep track of exactly where you are.
Match each number word to its numeral.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
What number comes right after 16?
You count 8 red blocks and 12 blue blocks. Which color has more blocks?
Count Your Snack
Get 20 small snacks (crackers, grapes, or cereal pieces). Line them up and count them out loud one at a time, touching each one as you say its number. Then split them into two groups and count each group separately to see which group has more. Draw your two groups on paper and write how many are in each.
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
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