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Counting to 5: Our First Numbers!

Little learners practice counting to 5 with fingers, songs, and tapping games — building one-to-one correspondence (one number for each object) and the joyful foundation of all math.

PreKNumbers30 minutes1 class periodPlay-BasedExplicit teaching4 StandardsEarly Learning
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Count out loud to 5.
  • ✓Touch one object per number (one-to-one).
  • ✓Recognize how many in a small group.
  • ✓Show numbers with fingers.
Essential Question

How many apples are there? Let’s touch each one and count together — 1, 2, 3! Counting is how we find out “how many.”

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Tap & Count · Interactive

Tap and Count!

Project this and let children take turns tapping each star to count it. Watch the number grow — one tap, one count, all the way to 5!

⭐ Tap each star and count to 5!Try it
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Tap the stars one at a time!
The Lesson · Play-Based Learning (Gather · Explore · Play · Reflect)

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Gather — Count Together

5 min

Hold up fingers — how many?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sing a counting song.
  • Hold up 1–5 fingers.
  • Set the goal: count to 5.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sing along.
  • Show fingers.
  • Get ready to count.
2

Explore — Tap and Count

10 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Tap and Count.
  • Touch each star while counting.
  • Say each number aloud.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each star.
  • Count aloud.
  • Reach 5!
3

Play — Counting Games

12 min

Play together.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Count claps, hops, and toys.
  • Touch one object per number.
  • Count to 5 together.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Count claps.
  • Count hops.
  • Count toys.
4

Create — Make a Number

8 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Trace and count 5 fingers.
  • Glue 5 stickers in a row.
  • Count them together.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Trace fingers.
  • Add stickers.
  • Count them.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Share the count.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask “how many?” with objects.
  • Count one last time.
  • Celebrate counting to 5!

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say how many.
  • Count again.
  • Cheer!
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to Head Start Early Learning Outcomes and common state PreK standards for mathematics.

C3
PreK.Math

Count to 5 by ones with one-to-one correspondence.

CCSS
K.CC.1

Precursor: count to tell the number of objects (kindergarten readiness).

C3
PreK.Math

Recognize the quantity of a small set without counting (subitizing).

C3
PreK.Math

Use fingers to represent numbers up to 5.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Count in the child’s home language too.
  • Model touching each object.
  • Use number picture cards.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start by counting to 3.
  • Guide the child’s hand to touch.
  • Count slowly together.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Count on to 10.
  • Match a number to a group.
  • Count everyday objects at home.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / tablet
  • ⭐Counting stars/stickers
  • 🧸Toys to count
  • ✋Our hands
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 📄Number cards
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

countto say numbers in ordernumbera word that tells how manyonethe number 1twothe number 2threethe number 3fourthe number 4fivethe number 5how manythe amount in a group
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Can you count to 5 out loud?
1, 2, 3, 4, 5! (Cheer for any counting effort.)
QUESTION 2
Touch each toy and tell me how many.
The child touches each object once and says the total (up to 5).
QUESTION 3
Show me 3 fingers.
The child holds up three fingers.

Growing at home? Count everything!

Encourage families to count together all day — steps on the stairs, crackers on a plate, buttons on a coat — touching each one. A printable counting mat is in the Early Learning library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Counting to 5Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Counting to 5Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Counting to 5Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: count, five, four, how many, number, one, three, two
  1. to say numbers in order
  2. the number 1
  3. a word that tells how many
  4. the amount in a group
  5. the number 3
  6. the number 5
  7. the number 4
  8. the number 2

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Can you count to 5 out loud?
  2. Touch each toy and tell me how many.
  3. Show me 3 fingers.
Answer key — Part A: 1) count · 2) one · 3) number · 4) how many · 5) three · 6) five · 7) four · 8) two
Part B: 1) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! (Cheer for any counting effort.) 2) The child touches each object once and says the total (up to 5). 3) The child holds up three fingers.