What Is Counting?

• Counting is how we find out "how many" things are in a group.
• We use numbers in a specific order to count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on.
• Counting helps us share toys, follow recipes, and understand the world.

How to Count Objects Correctly

• Touch and Say: Use your finger to touch each object one by one as you say the number out loud.
• The Last Number: The last number you say is the total amount of objects in that group.
• One-to-One: Make sure to count each object only once so you don't get the wrong answer.

Counting in a Row

• When objects are in a straight line, it is easy to count from left to right.
• Move your finger slowly from the start of the line to the end.
• If you have a line of five cars, once you touch the fifth car, you know you have five in total.

Counting Up to Ten

• Practice counting small things like your fingers, your crayons, or the buttons on your shirt.
• Groups can be big or small, but the way we count them is always the same.
• As you get better, you can count even bigger groups of objects!

Counting Examples

• Counting three juicy oranges in a fruit bowl.
• Counting six colorful blocks to build a tall tower.
• Counting eight birds sitting on a tree branch.

Lesson Summary

• Counting tells us the total number of items in a set.
• We must touch each item and say one number at a time.
• The last number we say tells us how many things we have altogether.