Counting on
The very first addition strategy.
Counting on means starting from the bigger number and counting forward the smaller amount, rather than counting both sets from one. It is the first real addition strategy, usually around ages four to six, and it is what makes bigger sums possible without endless recounting.
Play this lesson with narration →Start with a group
One group of 3 Yazies.
Look! Three Yazies are standing in a line. Let's count them together. One… two… three. There are three Yazies.
Now add more
Two more Yazies join.
Two more Yazies want to play! We already have three, so we count on: fooour, fiiive. Three, then four, five. We have five Yazies now.
Draw the bar
The whole is 5. The parts are 3 and 2.
We can draw this as a bar. A part of three, a part of two. Together they make five. That's called a bar model.
Write the equation
Now we write it with numbers. Three plus two equals five.
Your turn
You try! Four Yazies, then three more join. How many?
What parents should watch for
- Counting all from one every time ("1,2,3,4,5... 6,7,8") instead of starting at five.
- Starting the count at the first number instead of the next one, so 5 + 3 comes out as 7.
- Always counting on from the first number even when the second one is much bigger.
- Losing track of how many hops have been made when fingers run out.
Land 2 · Addition Alps — 10 levels for ages 4–6 in the addition & subtraction strand. Mapped to K.OA.A.1–5 (Common Core), Number bonds to 5 (UK EYFS/KS1) and K2: Number bonds (Singapore Math).
Play Addition Alps in the Yaze Adventure Map — games built on this exact skill.
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