Learning objective: Count a group of objects up to 20, touching or pointing to each object exactly once, and say how many there are in total.
When you count, you say numbers in order: 1, 2, 3, 4... You say ONE number for each object. You never skip an object, and you never count the same object twice.
Look at the picture above. There are 8 apples in a row. Each apple has its own number on it — 1, 2, 3, all the way to 8. When you say the last number, that tells you the total — the whole amount.
The most important rule of counting: touch (or point to) ONE object each time you say ONE number. If you touch an apple and don't say a number, or say two numbers for one apple, your count will be wrong.
You can count objects in any order — left to right, right to left, top to bottom — and you will still get the same total, as long as you count each object exactly once. Try counting the apples starting from the right side instead of the left. You should still get 8!
The more you count real objects — buttons, toys, fingers, steps — the easier and faster counting becomes. Try counting things around you today, like the chairs at your table or the books on a shelf.
Point to one apple for each number you say. Count 1, 2, 3... all the way to the last apple. The last number you say is the total.
When you count objects, how many numbers do you say for each object?
If you count 8 apples and the last number you say is 8, what is the total?
Can you count a group of objects starting from a different spot and still get the same total?
Find a small group of objects at home (like spoons, toys, or crayons). Count them one at a time and write down the total.