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Pre-K · Counting & Cardinality

PK.CC.1: Count to 20

PK.CC.1 is a Pre-K math standard in Counting & Cardinality. Here’s what it really covers, and how you can help your students learn it.

By Math teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club

The Pre-K math learning standard

Count to 20.
Pre-K standard PK.CC.1

In plain words

Count to 20.

Sample questions from student practice

These questions from Bobby's Math Club are the kinds of questions your students will see. You can try answering them to see what a student might see.

Question 1 of 3

What number comes next? 1, 2, 3, __

  • 4
  • 5
  • 6

Where students can get stuck

  • Skipping a teen number, most often 15 or 13, and going straight from 14 to 16 without noticing.
  • Inventing names like "ten-teen" or "eleventy," because the teen words do not follow an obvious pattern yet.
  • Starting again at 1 after an interruption, instead of carrying on from where they stopped.

Effective teaching strategies

  1. Chant the count to 20 with a steady clap, slowing down at 13 through 19 so students hear each teen word one at a time.
  2. Lay a floor-tape path labeled 1 to 20 and have students step along it, saying one number as each foot lands.
  3. Stop in the middle of the count and ask what comes next, so students practice carrying on from the number they reached and not starting again at 1.

Share it with families

Families can read Counting to 20 out loud for a plain-language look at this skill, with three questions to try together and ideas for helping at home.

Help every student practice counting at home

In Bobby's Math Club, students practice at just the right level, with a hint when they need one, a clear explanation after every question, and kid-friendly videos. Unlimited practice is free for every family.

See how it works for teachers
Robert “Bobby” Barnett

Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett

Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.

All Pre-K math standards