Counting Frogs During Storytime

• Say counting words in correspondence with objects
• Count to answer "how many"

• Supporting conceptual understanding

What to Look for in This Clip:

One essential skill young students are working on is counting sets of objects and determining how many there are altogether. Early on, young children may lose track of their place in the counting sequence or miss the idea that when we count a group of objects, the last number we say is how many there are in the group.

In the context of a book reading, this teacher uses several strategies to model and support children's counting and cardinality skills. She gives students an opportunity to practice counting by having them join her in counting the frogs. This gives students a chance to practice saying the number words in the correct sequence. She also develops their understanding of one-to-one correspondence, that one number words represents one object that is counted, when she touches each frog in correspondence with the counting words. Touching each frog while counting also models a "keeping track" strategy for the children. Finally, she supports their understanding of cardinality by prompting them to tell her how many frogs there are when they finish counting. In just a few seconds, this teacher's quick and targeted emphasis on counting helps students further solidify their understanding of counting and cardinality.