Counting 20 Together!

This week in Math Workshop, we learned a new skill center called Counting 20 Together. In this center, students work in pairs using a dot cube and counters. The goal is for the pair to collect 20 counters together and fill the Twenty Frame. For example, one friend will roll the dot cube and place the number of counters they rolled in the boxes of the Twenty Frame. The next friend will roll and add their counters to the Frame. Together, they will count their collection and keep rolling until they collect at least 20 counters.

Students learn how to quickly recognize the collection of dots on the cube without having to count each dot. They also use different strategies to keep track of their counters on their Twenty Frame. Students are encouraged to adopt strategies for counting. For example, they learn to count by 5s and 10s as well as counting on. The numbers along the right side of the Twenty Frame help students to visualize the counters in groups of five. As they are practicing this skill, Mrs. Alvarado and Miss Donofrio walk around with checklists to see if students are using their strategies and can answer questions about their Twenty Frame. This is a great way for us to know where to take our skills in math and is also great exposure for our blooming mathematicians!