[You will need a supply of 30 pennies and five dimes. If the learner can count to 30 and understands how to use counting, skip to Writing Numbers.]

We count things to find out how many there are. What are some things that we might need to count?

CHALLENGE 1: Learn to count to 5. [You will need 5 pennies.]

1) We will count these 5 pennies by adding 1 penny at a time and saying the count together:

• Here is 1 penny. The count is 1.
  
• You add 1 more penny. The count is 2.
  
• Add 1 more penny. The count is 3.
  
• Add 1 more penny. The count is 4.
  
• Add 1 more penny. The count is 5.

2) Now let's recount them by both of us saying the count as I point to each penny.

3) You count them alone as I point to each penny.

4) You count the fingers on your right hand to see if any are missing.

5) I will make bunches of from 2 to 5 pennies, and you give me the count quick as a flash.

6) See if you can count backwards. Here are 5 pennies. Take away one at a time and say how many are left.

CHALLENGE 2: Learn to count to 10. [You will need 10 pennies and a dime.]

1) Let's count these 10 pennies by adding 1 penny on each count:

• Here are 5 pennies. Here is 1 more penny. The count is 6 pennies.
  
• You add 1 more penny. The count is 7.
  
• Add 1 more penny. The count is 8.
  
• Add 1 more penny. The count is 9
  
• Add 1 more penny. The count is 10.

2) Now let's recount them and both of us will say the count as I point to each penny.

3) You count them alone as I point to each penny.

4) Count the fingers on both of your hands.

5) I will make a set of five pennies. Then I will add to it sets of from 1 to 5 pennies, and you tell me quick as a flash the total number of pennies.

6) See if you can count backwards from 10 to 1. Here are 10 pennies. Take away one at a time and say how many are left.

Let's take a good look at the number

10.

The 1 tells us that there is 1 set of ten. Here is a dime, which is one set of 10 cents.

CHALLENGE 3: Learn to count to 15. [You will need a dime and 5 pennies.]

1) I will start with this 10-cent piece or dime, and I will count to 15 cents as I add 1 penny at a time.

2) This time you count off 15 cents along with me starting with the 10-cent piece.

3) Count off 15 cents alone starting with the 10-cent piece.

4) I will keep adding from 1 to 5 pennies to the 10-cent piece, and you say the total count quick as a flash.

CHALLENGE 4: Learn to count to 20. Twenty is the name we use for 2 tens. After you count to 20, you will learn the names for 3 tens, 4 tens, 5 tens, and so on. [You will need a dime and 10 pennies.]

1) Starting with the 10-cent piece and 5 pennies, I will count to 20 cents as I add 1 penny at a time.

2) This time you count off 20 cents along with me starting with the 10-cent piece and 5 pennies.

3) Count off 20 cents alone starting with the 10-cent piece.

4) I will keep adding from 1 to 5 pennies to 15 cents, and you say the total count as quickly as you can.

5) Count all of your fingers and toes to see how many you have.

CHALLENGE 5: Learn to count to thirty. [You will need two dimes and 10 pennies.]

1) Here are two 10-cent pieces, which adds up to 20 cents. Starting with 20, I will count to 30 cents as I add 1 penny at a time, and you count along with me. Notice that counting to 30 is the same as counting to 10 except we first say "twenty" on each count.

2) Starting with two 10-cent pieces, count to 30 cents by adding 1 penny at a time.

CHALLENGE 6: Counting by 2s. We count faster if we count by 2s rather than 1s. [You will need 10 pennies.]

1) Watch while I count off 10 pennies by 2s.

2) Count with me as I count off 10 pennies by 2s.

3) You count off 10 pennies by 2s.

CHALLENGE 7: Counting by 5s. An even faster way to count is to count by 5s [You need 30 pennies.].

1) I will make sets of 5 pennies as I count by 5s. You count along with me.

3) You count the pennies by making sets of 5.

CHALLENGE 8: Counting change. [Coins needed: 1 quarter, 5 dimes, 5 nickels, and 9 pennies.]

1) Let's review the value of these coins: a penny is 1 cent, a nickel is 5 cents, and a dime is 10 cents.

2) Count up the value of these groups of coins as I make them:

• 1 nickel and 3 pennies
  
• 2 nickels
  
• 2 nickels and 4 pennies
  
• 1 dime, 1 nickel, and 1 penny
  
• 2 dimes, 2 nickels, and 3 pennies

3) The value of a quarter is 25 cents. It has the same value as 5 nickels or 2 dimes and a nickel. With these 10 pennies, 2 dimes, and 1 nickel see how many different ways you can make 25 cents.

4) Here is a money game. Choose the fewest number of coins to make the following amounts of money:

• 6 cents
  
• 11 cents
  
• 16 cents
  
• 21 cents
  
• 26 cents
  
• 36 cents

WRITING NUMBERS

[When working with a child, it would be best to have his teacher write the digits to provide a model.]

We show counts or amounts with numbers. Here is 1 penny. The number of pennies is 1, and this how we write the number 1. [Write it.]

CHALLENGE 1: Learning to write numbers up to 9.[You need 9 pennies.]

1) Count off 2 pennies, and I will write the number 2.

2) You trace it and then practice writing it.

[Continue this routine through 9.]

CHALLENGE 2: Learn to write two-digit numbers.

I will write the number ten. Notice that it is written with two digits. The 1 means one 10. The 0 means no ones.

I will say and write the numbers from 10 through 20, and you say and write the numbers along with me. [Help the learner practice writing the numbers at subsequent sessions.]

RANKING

1) Imagine some runners lined up for a foot race, and we count them: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. There are 5 runners. They run the race, and then we rank them according to their speed. Jeff was 1st, Peter was 2nd, Kile was 3rd, Robin was 4th, and Chubby was 5th.

2) Hold up your right hand. We might say that the 1st finger is your thumb. What is the rank of each of the next 4 fingers?

CHALLENGE: Make up a story in which you rank five dogs.

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