Counting On: A Faster Way to Add
You have 7 stickers. Your friend gives you 3 more. How many now? The slow way is to start at 1 and count every sticker: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7... phew. There is a faster way! You can hold 7 in your head and just count up: 8, 9, 10. This clever trick is called counting on.
What You'll Learn
In this lesson you will: 1. Learn what 'counting on' means. 2. Start with the bigger number to go faster. 3. Use your fingers to count on. 4. Solve real adding problems.
Start Big, Count On
To add 7 + 3, you say the big number first: 'Seven.' Then you count on 3 more: 'eight, nine, ten.' The answer is ten! You did not have to count the first seven at all. You just held it in your head and kept going. Starting with the bigger number means you count on fewer times.
Say the big number out loud. Then put up one finger for each number you count on. When your fingers match the small number, stop. The last number you said is your answer!
Which Number Goes First?
For 2 + 8, do not start at 2. That would make you count on 8 times. Instead, flip it: start at 8 and count on 2: 'nine, ten.' 2 + 8 and 8 + 2 both equal ten, so you may start with whichever is bigger. Smart adders always start with the biggest number so they count on the fewest times.
Let's Practice Together
Try 5 + 4. Start big: 'Five.' Count on four: 'six, seven, eight, nine.' The answer is nine. Now try 9 + 2. Start big: 'Nine.' Count on two: 'ten, eleven.' The answer is eleven. See how you only had to count a tiny bit? That is the power of counting on.
Match each adding problem to its answer.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
To add 4 + 6 the fast way, which number should you say first?
You count on to solve 6 + 3. What do you say?
Counting-On Cup Game
Get a cup and 10 small objects like buttons or coins. Put some in the cup and count them out loud, like 'six.' Now drop in 2 or 3 more one at a time, counting on each time: 'seven, eight, nine.' Do this 5 times with different starting numbers and say each answer out loud to a grown-up.
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