An activity I use

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An activity I use
By Cathy-Dee

Counting on can be mastered by most children in grade 1. I do not teach counting on until I have spent a lot of time using manipulatives and ensuring that they understand their number concepts fully.

Then once they can
add easily using manipulatives and show that they understand what the number five for example means, we move on to counting on to speed up the process and to help with addition of larger numbers.
This is one of the main activities I use to introduce counting on and it seems to work with my students.
Get numbered dice as well as regular dice. Each student gets a numbered dice and a

regular dice. They throw the dice, say the number on the numbered dice and then continue counting on with the dots on the regular dice.
I have them graph the answers they get when they add the two dice together.
They love this activity.
We do this for a few weeks and then we move on to using a number line, using manipulatives for only one number, etc.,

The number line is often a bit harder because they sometimes make the mistake of saying the number outloud and then counting on by pointing to that number first (so their answer is off by 1). I tell them to point first, then say the number and then point to the next number when they start counting. Of course I have to watch them carefully and help those who are struggling with it.

As with anything in grade 1, repetition is very important. Some of my students who seemed fine with the concept forgot how to use it over Christmas so I had to re-teach the skill again to those students. But with repetition they will begin to use it more and more. We just had an addition/subtraction test last week and 3 of my students drew their own number line on the test to use.

And there are those students who just can't get it this year. Usually they are struggling with number concepts to begin with. I never push my students with this, those who are ready will love doing it and those who are not perhaps will be ready the following year.