Counting to 20
Children count from 1 to 20, recognise written numerals 0-20, and place them in order.
Counting to 20 is the bedrock of KS1 number sense. Reception children count to 10 then 20; Year 1 consolidates and starts counting backwards. The trick is to link the spoken word, the written numeral and the quantity.
Worked examples
Forwards: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.
Backwards: 20, 19, 18 ... 3, 2, 1, 0. — build this slowly; many children stick at 'eleven' going down.
Ordering numerals: 5, 12, 8, 3, 17 → 3, 5, 8, 12, 17.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my child miss the 'teen' numbers?
‘Eleven’ and ‘twelve’ don't follow the ‘-teen’ pattern, and ‘thirteen’ through ‘nineteen’ reverse the digit order. Practise these orally with a number line until the names stick.
How do we link counting to quantity?
Use objects: count 1 raisin per word said. The ‘one-to-one correspondence’ is what stops counting being a song and turns it into number understanding.
What comes after 20 in KS1?
Year 1 extends to 50, Year 2 to 100. Counting in 2s, 5s and 10s arrives in Year 1.