Counting

Counting is the process of saying numbers in the correct order to find out how many items are in a group.
We count to keep track, measure, and understand quantity.

In Grade 2, students count forward and backward by ones, twos, fives, tens, and even hundreds.
They also count starting from any number, not just from 1.

🟩 Why It Matters

Counting is a key part of math.
It helps us:

• Know how many objects we have
  
  

• Compare numbers (more or less)
  
  

• Understand patterns and place value
  
  

• Get ready for adding and subtracting
  
  

🟨 Key Concepts

🔢 Counting Forward and Backward

Students should be able to count forwards (up) and backwards (down):

Forward Counting Example:

Start at 37, count forward by ones:
37, 38, 39, 40, 41

Backward Counting Example:

Start at 50, count backward by ones:
50, 49, 48, 47, 46

🧮 Skip Counting

Skip counting means counting by numbers other than 1.

• By 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12…
  
  

• By 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25…
  
  

• By 10s: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50…
  
  

This helps us count faster and prepares us for multiplication.

🟪 Counting Within 1,000

In Grade 2, we count beyond 100 — all the way up to 1,000!

Students practice:

• Reading numbers up to 1,000
  
  

• Writing numbers in words and digits
  
  

• Counting by 100s: 100, 200, 300...
  
  

🧊 Example 1 – Counting by 2s from 12

Start at 12, then skip count by 2s:
12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22

We added 2 each time.

🧊 Example 2 – Count Backwards from 75 to 70

Start at 75, then count back one by one:
75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70

Counting backward helps us prepare for subtraction.

💡 Did You Know?

Skip counting is used every day:

• In music beats
  
  

• In telling time
  
  

• In money (nickels = 5s, dimes = 10s)
  
  

🧠 Quick Check

✅ Count forward by 10s starting from 30:
30, __, __, __, __
(Answer: 40, 50, 60, 70)

✅ Count backward by 1s from 42 to 38:
42, 41, 40, 39, 38