Counting Objects from 1 to 10

Counting helps us find out how many. How many apples are in the bowl? How many children are in the line? Today you will learn to count things carefully from 1 to 10.

The counting words

Here are the first ten counting words. Say them with a grown-up:

one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten

The order never changes. Two always comes after one, and three always comes after two.

Use your fingers

You have ten fingers. Hold up one finger at a time as you count. When all your fingers are up, you have counted to ten!

One number for each thing

When you count objects, say one number for each thing. Touch each thing as you count it.

Example

Sam has some toy cars. He touches each car and counts: “one, two, three, four, five.” He says, “I have five cars!”

Tip: Move each object to the side after you count it. Then you will not count it twice or miss one.

The last number tells how many

When you finish counting, the last number you say tells you how many there are altogether. If you count “one, two, three” ducks, there are three ducks.

It does not matter where you start

If you count the same ducks from the other end, you still get three. The number of things does not change when you count in a different order.

Key takeaways

• Counting words always go in the same order.
• Say one number for each object you touch.
• The last number you say tells how many.
• The amount stays the same whichever way you count.

Practice

Find some small things, like spoons, socks or blocks. Count out 3 spoons, 7 blocks and 10 socks. Touch each one as you count.

Answer: you are right if you said exactly one number for each object and stopped at 3, 7 and 10. Ask a grown-up to count again with you to check.