Counting to 20
Counting Numbers to 20
Items in this lesson
Counting Numbers to 20
Open with cheerful counting language and establish that this lesson is about saying, reading, and finding numbers to 20.
Our Learning Goal
I can count, read and find numbers to 20.
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What number words do you know to 20?
Use this to hear which numbers pupils already know and which teen numbers may need extra practice.
Let’s Start Counting
We can count in order from 1 to 20.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 20
Each number comes one after the number before it.
This acts as the starter content without turning into an activity slide. Point along a number line as pupils say the sequence.
Numbers in Order
Counting means saying numbers in the right order.
We start at 1 and keep going one number at a time.
After 9 comes 10.
After 19 comes 20.
The order must stay the same each time.
Emphasise the two common tricky points: moving from 9 to 10 and from 19 to 20.
Counting Objects
When we count objects, we touch or point to one object at a time.
The last number we say tells us how many there are.
Model careful one-to-one counting. Stress that counting faster is not better if objects are missed or counted twice.
Say the Missing Numbers
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
7, 8, 9, 10
11, 12, 13, 14
16, 17, 18, 19
20 is the number after 19.
Keep attention on the counting sequence and the idea of one more.
What the Numerals Look Like
A numeral is the written number.
We read 10 as ten.
We read 15 as fifteen.
We read 20 as twenty.
Numbers from 11 to 19 all start with a 1.
Use clear pronunciation for teen numbers, as pupils often confuse thirteen/thirty later; this slide lays early groundwork.
What comes after 19?
18
20
10
17
Checks the tricky change from 19 to 20 from the first counting block.
Fill the missing numbers
We count from 1 to 20 in order. After 9 comes 10. After 19 comes 20. When we count objects, the last number tells how many there are.
Echoes the wording from slides 2 to 6: counting in order, tricky next numbers, and the idea that the last number tells how many.
Find Numbers on a Number Line
A number line shows numbers in order.
Numbers get bigger as we move to the right.
20 is farther right than 12.
Link the visual order on the number line to the spoken counting sequence.
Bigger and Smaller Numbers
5 is smaller than 8.
14 is bigger than 13.
20 is the biggest number in our lesson today.
If a number comes later when we count, it is bigger.
Keep comparison language simple: bigger, smaller, before, after.
Example: Count the Blocks
Count each block once.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
There are 8 blocks.
Use the image as a modelled example of one-to-one counting.
Example: What Comes Next?
After 4 comes 5.
After 9 comes 10.
After 12 comes 13.
After 19 comes 20.
We move on by one more each time.
This is the core explanation of next number without drifting into formal addition teaching.
Example: What Came Before?
Before 6 comes 5.
Before 10 comes 9.
Before 15 comes 14.
Before 20 comes 19.
We move back by one less each time.
Keep 'one less' informal and linked to moving back in the counting sequence.
Which number is bigger than 12?
11
10
9
20
Uses number line and comparison learning from slides 7 and 8.
Before and after
On a number line, numbers get bigger as we move to the right. After 12 comes 13. Before 15 comes 14. We move back by one less each time.
Checks direction on the number line and the examples of one more and one less.
Matching Numbers to Sets
A set of 13 objects matches the numeral 13.
We count the objects, then match the total to the written number.
Reinforce the link between quantity and numeral, not just reciting the sequence.
A Number Hunt Game
Look for numbers from 1 to 20.
Find the numeral and say its name.
Put numbers in the correct order.
Check which number is before and after.
Counting helps us spot if a number is missing.
This preserves the game element requested by the teacher as lesson content, without turning the slide into direct activity instructions.
Which game job sounds best?
Find a numeral
Put in order
Say before
Spot missing
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A set of 13 objects matches which numeral?
31
12
13
14
Checks matching a counted set to the written numeral, based on slide 12 and the game slide.
Count and match
We can count from 1 to 20. In a number hunt, we find the numeral and say its name. We can put numbers in the right order and check which number is before and after.
Reinforces the game slide language and key vocabulary from the lesson.
Let’s Remember
We can count from 1 to 20 in order.
We can count objects carefully, one at a time.
The last number tells how many objects there are.
Number lines help us find numbers.
We can say which number is before or after.
Use this as the plenary summary of the lesson’s key ideas.
What is one thing you learned today?
Encourage simple reflective answers such as a number, counting objects, number lines, before/after, or putting numbers in order.
What helped you learn best today?
Look for responses about number lines, saying numbers in order, counting objects one at a time, or examples helping them.
Which part felt trickiest today?
Invite honest answers such as teen numbers, before and after, or remembering what comes next.
Glossary
count - to say numbers in order
number - an amount or position
numeral - the written symbol for a number
number line - a line that shows numbers in order
before - the number that comes earlier
after - the number that comes next
object - a thing we can count
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