Math Worksheets and Lesson Plans - Counting Games

Math Their Way Games

I use some games that I got from the Math Their Way program. I am not sure what they are called in the book since I have been using them for years and we, the kids and I, have probably mixed up the names.

Anyway, one we call STAND UP, SIT DOWN is just rote counting. We all stand and then sit as we say the number. Then when we get to nine, we put up one finger for one ten, and go on. When we all are sitting, we just keep going and then stand as we say our number. When we get to nineteen, we put up a second finger and say "twenty" and just keep going this way to whatever number we have preset. In Kindergarten I stop at twenty at first and with First Graders, I would start at twenty and quickly go to fifty and one hundred. Another finger is raised every time we say a number with nine in it, and it helps us remember what comes next. For example, when we get to thirty-nine, we have four fingers up and it helps us remember that "FOUR-ty" comes next.

I hope this is clear but I have great success with this and everyone counts to 100 in no time. The finger method was actually invented by a Kindergarten child that I had one year. I asked Mom and previous preschool teacher if they had taught it to her and they all said no. So I guess she discovered it on her own.
Submitted by: Rebecca Becca2001@email-removed

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