Year 1: Counting objects
Part of the Year 1 numbers to 10 chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Counting objects
Let’s count! Counting means saying one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on. Touch each thing once as you say its number, so you do not miss one or count one twice. The last number you say tells you how many there are.
Here are some apples. Count them with your finger.
Key ideas
- Say one number for each thing, in order.
- Touch each thing only once.
- The last number you say is how many there are.
- When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 6.
- Write the answer. There are 6 apples.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 6 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 9.
- Write the answer. There are 9 stars.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 9 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3, 4
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 4.
- Write the answer. There are 4 cubes.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 4 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Watch out
Watch out: count each thing only once. If you point at the same apple twice, you will say a number too many. Move each thing to one side as you count it, or put a finger on it.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Lay out real things at home, such as buttons, pasta shapes or toy cars. Ask your child to move each one as they count it, then ask: “How many altogether?”
Exercise 1A Counting things
Non-calculatorKey words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 3.
- Write the answer. There are 3 apples.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 3 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 5.
- Write the answer. There are 5 stars.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 5 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 8.
- Write the answer. There are 8 balls.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 8 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 2.
- Write the answer. There are 2 cubes.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 2 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 10.
- Write the answer. There are 10 apples.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 10 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 7.
- Write the answer. There are 7 stars.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 7 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. Zero means none at all. We write it as 0.
Method. When there is nothing to count, the answer is zero.
- Look inside the empty box. Check every place a thing could be.There are no apples.
- Say the number for nothing. Zero means there are none.Nothing to count, so the answer is zero.
- Write the answer. 0
Check. Zero is a number, and we write it as 0. ✓
Watch out. Zero is a number, not an empty answer. Write 0 when there are none.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3, 4
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 4.
- Write the answer. There are 4 apples.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 4 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 6.
- Write the answer. There are 6 stars.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 6 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Key words. To count is to say one number for each thing, in order: 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Method. Say one number for each one, and touch each one only once. The last number you say is how many there are.
- Count each one and say its number. Each one gets one number. Do not miss one and do not count one twice.1, 2, 3
- Look at the last number you said. The last number tells us how many there are altogether.The last number is 3.
- Write the answer. There are 3 cubes.
Check. Count again from the other side. You get 3 again. ✓
Watch out. Move each one to one side as you count it, so you do not lose your place.
Method. Count the apples one at a time, then compare with what Nadia said.
- Count the apples. Touch each apple once.1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Compare with Nadia. Nadia said 6. We counted 5, so she has made a mistake.We counted 5, not 6.
- Write the answer. No. There are 5 apples.
Check. Count from the other side: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Still 5. ✓
Watch out. Count carefully. Check each apple once.
Key words. More means a bigger number. Fewer means a smaller number. The same means equal.
Method. Count each group, then see which number is bigger.
- Count group A. Touch each one once.Group A: 7 apples
- Count group B. Touch each one once.Group B: 4 stars
- Compare the two numbers. The bigger number has more. The smaller number has fewer.7 > 4
- Write the answer. Group A has more apples.
Check. Match one to one: each thing in one group gets a partner from the other. The group with a thing left over has more. ✓
Watch out. Groups can look bigger when the things are spread out. Always count them.
Key words. A numeral is a number written with digits, like 7. A number word is its name, like seven.
Method. Say the number out loud, then write its name in words.
- Say the number. Listen to how it sounds.6
- Find its name on the number list. Every number has one name.6 = six
- Write the word, one letter at a time. The word has 3 letters.six
Check. Count out 6 things and say “six” at the end. ✓
Watch out. Look at the whole word. “Six” and “seven” both start with s but they are different numbers.
Method. Say each number once, in order. Check each number is one more than the one before.
- Look at what Aisha said. She said 1, 2, 3, and then 3 again.1, 2, 3, 3
- Find the mistake. She said 3 twice and missed out 4.The correct count is 1, 2, 3, 4
- Write the answer. There are 4 stars.
Check. Count the stars again, one at a time: 1, 2, 3, 4. ✓
Watch out. Each number should be different. Do not repeat a number.