The purpose of this activity is for students to count their collection in a way that makes sense to them and keep track of which objects have been counted. Keeping track of which objects have been counted helps students count accurately and ensures that each object is counted only once and all the objects are counted (MP6). Students are provided with 10-frames and counting mats to help them organize their collections.

• “How many objects do you have? How do you know?” 
• Display the counting mat or the 10-frame and ask, “How can you use this mat to help you make sure that you count each object?”

These students may benefit from the next activity in this optional lesson.

• Invite previously identified students to share how they counted their collections.
• “What do you notice about how they counted?” (They said one number for each object. They used the counting mat/10-frame to organize their objects. They counted all of the objects one time.)
• After each student shares, write or display the number they counted and say, “There are _____ objects in their collection.”

The purpose of this activity is for students to practice keeping track of the objects that have been counted as they count collections of up to 20 objects. Students may benefit from working on the concepts in this optional activity more than one time.

• Invite at least one student who used each tool to share how they counted their collection.
• After each student shares, write or display the number they counted and say, “There are _____ objects in their collection.”
• “How do you know that you have counted each object one time?” (I moved the objects from one side of the counting mat to the other. There are none left on this side, so I counted them all. I put them on a 10-frame and then touched and counted each one in order.)
• If needed, “When we count, a counting mat or 10-frame can help us make sure that we count each object 1 time.”

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice with addition, subtraction, and tracing numbers.

Students choose any previously introduced stage from these centers:

• Number Race
• Subtraction Towers
• 5-Frames

• “When did you see a classmate count during centers today?”