Counting to 20: One More Every Time
You have 10 fingers and 10 toes. Put them together and you get 20 — the biggest number you'll count to in this lesson! Counting to 20 means learning ten new number words, from eleven all the way to twenty, and each one has its own special sound.
What You'll Learn
Count out loud from 1 to 20 without skipping a number. Read and recognize the written numbers 11 through 20. Notice the pattern in the teen numbers (like four-TEEN, fif-TEEN). Count a pile of real objects, like blocks or crayons, up to 20 without losing count.
Numbers 11-20 Have a Pattern
Look closely at the numbers 13 through 19: thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. Do you hear it? Each one ends in the sound 'teen,' which is a clue that means '10 plus.' Fourteen means 10 plus 4. Seventeen means 10 plus 7. Eleven and twelve are the two odd ones out — they don't follow the 'teen' pattern, so those two are worth extra practice.
Hold up both hands (10 fingers) for the '10' part of any teen number, then hold up a friend's fingers for the rest. 10 fingers plus 4 more fingers is fourteen!
Counting Objects One By One
When you count a pile of real things — like 20 crayons — touch each one as you say its number. This stops you from counting the same crayon twice or skipping one by accident. Line your crayons up in a row first. Counting things in a neat line, instead of a messy pile, makes it much easier to count all the way to 20 without a mistake.
Match the number to its number word.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
What comes right after 15 when counting?
Which clue tells you a number is a 'teen' number, like fourteen or seventeen?
Count 20 Real Objects
Gather 20 small objects, like crayons, buttons, or blocks. Line them up in a row and count them out loud, touching each one as you say its number. Then write or trace the number 20 on paper. Deliverable: tell a grown-up or friend the total count out loud and show them your written number 20.
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