Ten and More: Counting Past Your Fingers and Toes
You have 10 fingers and 10 toes — that's 20 all together! But what happens when you want to count something bigger, like all the crayons in a big box, or all the stars you can spot in the sky? You need to know how to count past 10, all the way to 20 and beyond!
What You'll Learn
In this lesson, you will: - Count out loud from 1 to 20 - Understand that 'teen' numbers (11-19) are made of 10 plus some more - Group objects into tens to count faster - Write numbers from 1 to 20
Ten and Some More
Every number from 11 to 19 is a secret math trick: it's the number 10 plus a little bit more! The number 13 is really '10 and 3' — that's why we say thir-TEEN. The number 17 is '10 and 7' — that's why we say seven-TEEN. Try it with your fingers: hold up all 10 fingers, then ask a friend to hold up 4 more fingers. Together that's 10 + 4 = 14 fingers!
Counting by Grouping
Counting a big pile one-by-one can take a long time and it's easy to lose your place. A faster way is to group objects into bunches of 10. If you have 23 buttons, make two groups of 10 (that's 20) and then count the leftover 3 buttons: 20, 21, 22, 23! This is exactly how egg cartons work — most hold 12 eggs in neat rows that help you count fast without counting one by one.
A ten-frame is a box with 10 spaces, like a mini egg carton. Teachers use ten-frames to help you SEE how many more you need to make 10, and how many extra you have once you pass 10.
Flashcards — click each card to reveal the answer
You have 10 apples in a basket and 5 more apples on the table. How many apples in all?
Which number means '10 and 7 more'?
Match each teen number to what it really means.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
Build-a-Teen with Household Objects
Gather 20 small objects (buttons, cereal pieces, coins, or blocks). Make one group of exactly 10, then count out extra objects one at a time next to it, saying the teen number out loud each time (10... 11... 12...) until you reach 20. Draw a picture of your two groups and label how many are in each.
Want to keep learning?
Sign up for free to access the full curriculum — all subjects, all ages.
Start Learning Free