Counting objects 1–50 (progressing to 100).

Counting Objects 1-50 (Progressing to 100)

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Lesson Objectives

  • Count a group of objects accurately from 1 to 10, touching each object only once
  • Recognize, say, and write numbers from 11 to 20, including the teen numbers
  • Count and group objects into tens and ones from 21 to 50
  • Continue a counting sequence forward from any given number, up to 100
  • Count forward by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s up to 100
  • Compare two numbers and say which one is more and which one is less

Introduction to Counting Objects

Counting is one of the very first and most important skills in mathematics. It means finding out exactly how many objects are in a group by saying number names in the correct order, one for each object. Once we can count well, we can compare groups, share things fairly, tell how much money we have, and even tell time. In this lesson, we will practice counting objects from 1 all the way up to 100, learning how to count small groups one by one, and how to count larger groups faster by grouping them into tens.

Golden Rules of Counting
1. Touch or point to each object one time only.
2. Say the numbers in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...
3. The last number you say tells you the total number of objects.
4. As we count forward, the numbers always get bigger.
Key Definitions:
• Number: a symbol, like 5 or 12, that tells us how many objects there are.
• Counting: saying number names in order while touching or pointing to each object exactly once.
• Tens: a group of exactly ten objects, counted together as one unit.
• Ones: single objects left over after making groups of ten.
• More than / Less than: comparing two numbers to find out which one is bigger and which one is smaller.

Quick Reference: Number Names 1-10

NumeralNumber WordNumeralNumber Word
1one6six
2two7seven
3three8eight
4four9nine
5five10ten

Scroll sideways on smaller screens to view the full table.

Counting Objects from 1 to 10

When we count a small group of objects, we touch each object one at a time and say the next number name. This is called one-to-one correspondence: one number for one object. It is important not to rush, so that we do not count an object twice or skip one by mistake.

Step-by-Step Method:
1. Point to the first object and say "one".
2. Move to the next object and say the next number.
3. Keep touching and counting each object exactly once, in order.
4. The last number you say is the total number of objects in the group.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 There are 7 apples!

Count each apple once, from left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The last number said (7) is the total.

Example 1: Counting a Small Group
Problem: Count the apples shown in the diagram above. How many apples are there in total?

Solution:
Step 1: Point to the first apple and say "one".

Step 2: Move along and count each apple in order: two, three, four, five, six, seven.

Step 3: There are no more apples left to count.

Answer: There are 7 apples in total.
Watch Out!
A common mistake is counting the same object twice, or skipping an object by accident, especially when objects are close together. Always move each object aside (or point clearly to it) as you count it, so you know exactly which ones you have already counted.

Practice for Counting Objects from 1 to 10

  1. Count from 1 to 10 out loud, then write the numbers in order.
  2. How many fingers do you have on one hand? Count and write the number.
  3. Draw 6 circles on a sheet of paper, then count them to check you drew exactly 6.
  4. Count these shapes: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (five stars). Write how many stars there are.
  5. Which number comes right after 8 when counting forward?

Counting Objects from 11 to 20

Numbers from 11 to 20 are called the "teen numbers". Each teen number is made up of one full group of ten, plus some extra ones. For example, 14 means one group of ten and four extra ones. Thinking of teen numbers this way makes them much easier to count and remember.

Step-by-Step Method:
1. First, count out a full group of ten objects and set it aside.
2. Say "ten" for that whole group.
3. Count the remaining objects one at a time: "eleven, twelve, thirteen..."
4. The last number you say is the total number of objects.
A group of 10 + 4 more 10 + 4 = 14

10 objects make one full group (ten). 4 more objects are counted after: ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. So 10 + 4 = 14.

Example 2: Counting a Teen Number
Problem: Count the counters shown in the diagram above. How many counters are there altogether?

Solution:
Step 1: Count the full group first: there are 10 counters in the group, so we say "ten".

Step 2: Count the extra counters one at a time, continuing on from ten: "eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen".

Step 3: There are no more counters left.

Answer: There are 14 counters altogether.
Watch Out!
Teen numbers can sound alike and are easy to mix up, especially "thirteen" and "thirty", or "fourteen" and "forty". Practice saying and writing them slowly, and remember teen numbers (13-19) always start with the "one ten" part, while the "-ty" numbers (30, 40, 50...) are a different group of tens altogether.

Practice for Counting Objects from 11 to 20

  1. Count from 11 to 20 out loud, then write the numbers in order.
  2. Count 16 counters by first making a group of 10, then counting the rest.
  3. Write the number that comes right after 17.
  4. Which number is bigger: 13 or 19?
  5. A basket has 10 mangoes plus 6 more mangoes. How many mangoes are there in total?

Counting Objects from 21 to 50 (Tens and Ones)

For bigger groups of objects, counting one by one can take a long time and is easy to get wrong. Instead, we group the objects into tens first, then count any leftover ones. A number like 35 means we have 3 full groups of ten (30) and 5 extra ones — this is called "tens and ones".

Step-by-Step Method:
1. Make groups of ten objects at a time until you cannot make another full group.
2. Count how many full ten-groups you made (this gives the tens digit).
3. Count any objects left over that could not fill a group of ten (this gives the ones digit).
4. Say the tens and ones together to get the total, e.g. "3 tens and 5 ones is thirty-five".
10 10 10 3 Tens 5 Ones 3 tens + 5 ones = 35

Three groups of ten (blue rods) plus five single ones (orange circles) make 3 tens and 5 ones, which is the number 35.

Example 3: Counting with Tens and Ones
Problem: A tray has 42 seeds. Show this using tens and ones, and state how many ten-groups and how many leftover ones there are.

Solution:
Step 1: Group the seeds into tens: 10, 20, 30, 40 — this uses 4 full groups of ten.

Step 2: Count what is left over after making the 4 tens: there are 2 seeds remaining.

Step 3: Put the tens and ones together: 4 tens and 2 ones.

Answer: 42 = 4 tens and 2 ones (40 + 2 = 42).
Watch Out!
A common mistake is forgetting to count the leftover ones after making the ten-groups, or miscounting how many full ten-groups were made. Always check your answer by counting all the objects again, one by one, to make sure the total matches.

Practice for Counting Objects from 21 to 50 (Tens and Ones)

  1. Count from 21 to 30 out loud, then write the numbers in order.
  2. A box has 3 tens and 6 ones. What number is this?
  3. The number 47 has how many tens and how many ones?
  4. Group 29 counters into tens and ones. How many tens and how many ones are there?
  5. Which number is bigger: 38 or 45? Explain how you know using tens.

Counting to 100

Once we are confident counting to 50, we can continue counting all the way to 100. Counting one object at a time still works, but it can be slow for very large groups. Skip counting — counting forward by 2s, 5s, or 10s instead of 1s — is a faster way to count large groups, and it also helps us continue a counting sequence starting from any number.

Step-by-Step Method:
1. Decide what number you are skip counting by: 1, 2, 5, or 10.
2. Start at 0 (or at the given starting number).
3. Add that number each time and say the new number aloud.
4. Keep going until you reach the target number, such as 100.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 +10 Skip Counting by 10s to 100

Counting by 10s along the number line: 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 — each jump adds 10.

Example 4: Skip Counting by 5s
Problem: Count forward by 5s starting from 0, up to 50. Write out the sequence.

Solution:
Step 1: Start at 0 and add 5 each time: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20.

Step 2: Keep adding 5: 25, 30, 35, 40.

Step 3: Continue until reaching 50: 45, 50.

Answer: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50
Example 5: Continuing a Counting Sequence
Problem: Continue counting forward from 76 for five more numbers.

Solution:
Step 1: Start right after 76, adding 1 each time: 77, 78.

Step 2: Keep counting forward: 79, 80.

Step 3: Continue for one more number: 81.

Answer: 77, 78, 79, 80, 81
Watch Out!
When counting forward across a "ten" boundary (like from 29 to 30, or 79 to 80), it is easy to forget the new tens number and say the wrong word. Practice these tricky boundaries extra slowly: twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty; seventy-nine, eighty.

Practice for Counting to 100

  1. Count forward by 2s from 0 to 20. Write out the sequence.
  2. Count forward by 10s from 0 to 100. Write out the sequence.
  3. Continue counting forward from 54 for five more numbers.
  4. Count forward by 5s from 0 to 100. Write out the sequence.
  5. What number comes right before 90? What number comes right after 90?

Cumulative Practice Exercises

  1. Count these shapes: ● ● ● ● ● ● (six circles). How many circles are there?
  2. A basket has 10 oranges plus 3 more oranges. How many oranges are there in total?
  3. Write the number that comes right after 15.
  4. A bag has 2 tens and 7 ones. What number is this?
  5. Count forward from 1 to 20 and write the numbers in order.
  6. Which number is bigger: 24 or 42?
  7. Count forward by 10s from 0 to 50. Write out the sequence.
  8. The number 36 has how many tens and how many ones?
  9. Continue counting forward from 88 for four more numbers.
  10. Count forward by 5s from 0 to 30. Write out the sequence.
  11. A tray has 39 buttons. Group them into tens and ones, and state how many of each.
  12. Which number is smaller: 61 or 59?
Show/Hide Answers

Solutions to Cumulative Exercises

  1. Step 1: Count each circle in order: one, two, three, four, five, six.
    Answer: 6 circles
  2. Step 1: Start with the full group of 10 oranges, then count the extra 3: eleven, twelve, thirteen.
    Answer: 13 oranges
  3. Step 1: Counting forward from 15, the next number is 16.
    Answer: 16
  4. Step 1: 2 tens = 20. Add the 7 ones: 20 + 7 = 27.
    Answer: 27
  5. Step 1: Counting forward from 1: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.
    Answer: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
  6. Step 1: 24 has 2 tens; 42 has 4 tens. Since 4 tens is more than 2 tens, 42 is bigger.
    Answer: 42 is bigger
  7. Step 1: Starting at 0 and adding 10 each time: 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50.
    Answer: 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50
  8. Step 1: 36 = 3 tens (30) + 6 ones.
    Answer: 3 tens and 6 ones
  9. Step 1: Counting forward from 88: 89, 90, 91, 92.
    Answer: 89, 90, 91, 92
  10. Step 1: Starting at 0 and adding 5 each time: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.
    Answer: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30
  11. Step 1: Group 39 buttons into tens: 10, 20, 30 — this uses 3 full tens.
    Step 2: Count what is left over: 9 buttons remain.
    Answer: 3 tens and 9 ones (30 + 9 = 39)
  12. Step 1: 61 has 6 tens and 1 one; 59 has 5 tens and 9 ones. Since 5 tens is less than 6 tens, 59 is smaller.
    Answer: 59 is smaller

Conclusion & Summary

In this lesson, we learned how to count objects carefully from 1 to 10, how to recognize and count the teen numbers from 11 to 20, how to count larger groups from 21 to 50 by grouping them into tens and ones, and how to continue counting all the way to 100 using skip counting. These counting skills are the foundation for everything else we will learn in mathematics, from addition and subtraction to money and measurement.

Key Takeaways:
1. Counting Rule: touch or point to each object once, saying the numbers in order.
2. Teen Numbers: 11-20 are one group of ten plus extra ones.
3. Tens and Ones: group objects into tens first, then count the leftover ones.
4. Skip Counting: counting forward by 2s, 5s, or 10s is a faster way to count to 100.

Practice counting objects around you every day — toys, spoons, buttons, or steps — and counting will soon feel easy and fun!

Video Resource

Watch this video to sing and count along to 100 by 1s.

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