Counting by 2’s Forward

Rationale:

Another important math skill is to be able to count by numbers other than 1’s. Some count-bys are relatively more useful than others. Counting by 5’s has application to money and time-telling applications, while counting by 8’s has few directly applied uses, but is still useful when estimating. Being able to do fluent count-bys is helpful with multiplication and division computation where the student is dealing with the same number again and again. Using recursive patterns to teach count-bys illustrates the relationships between numbers and makes them easier to learn. In recursive patterns numbers are presented to show the minimal change in the pattern.

Materials:
The numbers as printed from a particular number to some other
number (forward). A second blank sheet of paper.

  2   4   6   8  10                    (5)
12 14 16 18  20                  (10)
22 24 26 28  30               (15)
32 34 36 38  40               (20)
42 44 46 48  50               (25)
52 54 56 58  60               (30)
62 64 66 68  70               (35)
72 74 76 78  80                (40)
82 84 86 88  90              (45)
92 94 96 98 100              (50)

Rote Counting by 2’s. See and Say Numbers
This task should be done for a couple of minutes each day until the student counts quickly and easily without errors from any number to any other number.

Task 1: Counting by 2s
Say to the student, “Now we are going to learn to count by 2s. I am going to count by 2s to 20. I will touch each number and say it. Listen. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20.

Touch each number from 2 to 20 and say it. Listen again, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20.

Count from 2 to 20 with me. I will touch the numbers. When I touch the numbers we will both say them. Ready. (Signal) Touch each number and count from 2 to 20 with the student.

Say, “Good job. You did it!”

Now try that by yourself. Touch each number and count from 2 to 20 and say it. Ready.(Signal)

Watch the student touch each number and listen to the student count from 2 to 20.

Say, You did it. Good counting. Do that for me one more time. Ready. (Signal) Repeat task.

Say, Excellent. You are learning to count well.

Correction Procedure:
If the child cannot count from 2 to 20 without making errors, change the task. Review counting to 100 until the student is fluent at 150 counts/minute and try the task again.

Exercise #2 – Short form recursive pattern for 2’s

On a blank sheet write of paper    2, 4, 6, 8, 0.

Say to the student,  Here is an easy way to count by 2’s. Any count will always end with these 5 numbers. If you want to count further, use the numbers again.

Look at these numbers and count by 2s to 10. Ready. Signal.

Students count          2, 4, 6, 8, 10.

Now count by 2’s from 10 to 20. Ready. Signal.

Students count         12, 14, 16, 18, 20.

Look at the underlined numbers. They are 2, 4, 6, 8, 0. If you remember these five numbers, you can count by 2’s to any number.