Reception Maths Counting to 10: check-up and practice test questions

Key words. To count means to say one number for each thing, in order.

Method. Touch each one once and say one number for each. The last number is how many there are.

1. Touch and count each one. Each thing gets one number, in order.
   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
2. Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are.
   The last number is 6.
3. Write the answer.
   There are 6 apples.

Check. Count from the other side. You get 6 again. ✓

Watch out. Move each one aside as you count it, so you do not count it twice.

Key words. The number word is the name of the number, like seven.

Method. Say the number, then write its name in words.

1. Look at the numeral. Find it on the number list.
   3
2. Find its name. Every number has one name.
   3 = three
3. Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 5 letters.
   three

Check. Count 3 things and say “three” at the end. ✓

Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” are different numbers.

Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.

Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.

1. Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.
   No stars at all.
2. Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.
   Nothing to count.
3. Write the answer.
   0

Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓

Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.

Method. Look at the pattern first. Then count each dot once to check.

1. Look at the pattern. Some patterns can be seen at a glance.
   four dots, one in each corner
2. Count each dot once. Touch or point to each dot to check.
   1, 2, 3, 4
3. Write the answer.
   4

Check. Turn the dice round. It still shows 4 dots. ✓

Watch out. The dots can be turned round, but the number of dots stays the same.

Method. Count the counters in the frame one at a time.

1. Look at the top row. The top row is full with five counters.
   top row: 5
2. Look at the bottom row. Two more counters are in the bottom row.
   bottom row: 2
3. Add them up by counting on. Count on from 5: 6, 7.
   5, 6, 7
4. Write the answer.
   7

Check. Count one at a time: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. ✓

Watch out. Count the top row first, then the bottom row.

Method. Find 6 on the number track. The number after it is the answer.

1. Find 6. Put your finger on it.
   6
2. Move one box to the right. Each box is one more or one less.
   6 + 1 = 7
3. Write the answer.
   7

Check. Check it: 7 − 1 = 6. ✓

Watch out. Move one box only. Do not write the number you started with.

Method. Find 5 on the number track. The number before it is the answer.

1. Find 5. Put your finger on it.
   5
2. Move one box to the left. Each box is one more or one less.
   5 − 1 = 4
3. Write the answer.
   4

Check. Check it: 4 + 1 = 5. ✓

Watch out. Move one box only. Do not write the number you started with.

Method. Each number is one more than the number before it. Use the numbers you can see to find the gaps.

1. Look at the numbers around each gap. Counting on means each number is one more.
   5, 6, ?, 8, ?, 10
2. Count on one from the number before each gap. Add 1 to the number before the gap.
   Gap 3: 6 + 1 = 7
   Gap 5: 8 + 1 = 9
3. Write the missing numbers.
   7, 9

Check. Read the whole line again. Every number is one more than the one before. ✓

Watch out. Check the numbers after the gap too. They should still go up by one.

Method. Start at 10 and count back to 7. Each number is one less than the one before.

1. Start at the biggest number. We start at the top.
   10
2. Say each number, one less each time. Do not skip a number.
   10, 9, 8, 7
3. Write the numbers. Include the first and last numbers.
   10, 9, 8, 7

Check. Count on from 7 to 10 to check. ✓

Watch out. Count backwards one at a time. Do not jump two numbers.

Method. A good answer says each star was touched once and the last number is the total.

1. Say what you did. Each star was touched once.
   touch each star
2. Say what the last number was. The last number tells how many there are.
   last number = 5
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any answer that says each star was touched once and the last number was how many.

Check. Count 5 stars, touching each once. ✓

Watch out. Name both the touching and the last number.

Key words. To count means to say one number for each thing, in order.

Method. Touch each one once and say one number for each. The last number is how many there are.

1. Touch and count each one. Each thing gets one number, in order.
   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
2. Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are.
   The last number is 8.
3. Write the answer.
   There are 8 stars.

Check. Count from the other side. You get 8 again. ✓

Watch out. Move each one aside as you count it, so you do not count it twice.

Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.

Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.

1. Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.
   No cubes at all.
2. Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.
   Nothing to count.
3. Write the answer.
   0

Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓

Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.

Method. Find 8 on the number track. The number after it is the answer.

1. Find 8. Put your finger on it.
   8
2. Move one box to the right. Each box is one more or one less.
   8 + 1 = 9
3. Write the answer.
   9

Check. Check it: 9 − 1 = 8. ✓

Watch out. Move one box only. Do not write the number you started with.

Method. Each number is one more than the number before it. Use the numbers you can see to find the gaps.

1. Look at the numbers around each gap. Counting on means each number is one more.
   2, ?, 4, ?, 6
2. Count on one from the number before each gap. Add 1 to the number before the gap.
   Gap 2: 2 + 1 = 3
   Gap 4: 4 + 1 = 5
3. Write the missing numbers.
   3, 5

Check. Read the whole line again. Every number is one more than the one before. ✓

Watch out. Check the numbers after the gap too. They should still go up by one.

Method. Start at 10 and count back to 5. Each number is one less than the one before.

1. Start at the biggest number. We start at the top.
   10
2. Say each number, one less each time. Do not skip a number.
   10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5
3. Write the numbers. Include the first and last numbers.
   10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5

Check. Count on from 5 to 10 to check. ✓

Watch out. Count backwards one at a time. Do not jump two numbers.

Method. Count each group.

1. Count the first group. It has 3 stars.
   3 stars
2. Think about the second group. Zero means there are none.
   0 stars
3. Compare them. Three is more than zero.
   3 is more than 0
4. Write the answer.
   The group with 3 stars has more, because 3 is more than 0.

Check. Three stars, and none in the other group. ✓

Watch out. Zero is smaller than every other number.

Method. Look at the dots on each dice and compare the numbers.

1. Count dice a. Dice a has two dots.
   2 dots
2. Count dice b. Dice b has five dots.
   5 dots
3. Compare the numbers. Five is bigger than two, so dice b has more.
   5 is more than 2
4. Write the answer.
   Dice b has more dots, because 5 is more than 2.

Check. Count dice b: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. ✓

Watch out. Compare the number of dots, not the size of the dice.

Method. Compare the numbers Ravi said with the number of stars.

1. Count the stars. There are four stars, each touched once.
   1, 2, 3, 4
2. Look at what Ravi said. He said 4, 5, 6, 7, but there are only four stars.
   4, 5, 6, 7
3. Find the mistake. He carried on counting after the last star.
   He counted 7 numbers
4. Write the answer.
   He went on past the last star. There are 4 stars.

Check. Count again: 1, 2, 3, 4. The last number is 4. ✓

Watch out. Stop counting when you run out of things.

Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.

Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.

1. Look inside the empty bag. Check every place a thing could be.
   No things at all.
2. Say the number for none. Zero means there are none.
   Nothing to count.
3. Write the answer.
   0

Check. Zero is a number. We write it as 0. ✓

Watch out. Write 0 when there are none. Do not leave the answer empty.

Method. A good answer gives one numeral and its word.

1. Choose a number. Pick a number from 0 to 10.
   5
2. Write it as a numeral. The numeral uses digits.
   5
3. Write it as a word. The word is its name.
   five
4. Write the answer.
   Accept any answer with an example such as 5 and five, which name the same number.

Check. 5 and five are two ways to write the same number. ✓

Watch out. The numeral and the word must be for the same number.