Counting on addition

Counting on means starting at the bigger number and counting up to add. Practice for kids, help for parents below.

🧒 Kids: count on to add!

Start at the big number. Count on. Tap Practice!

▶ Practice ⏱️ 1-minute challenge 🫧 Make 10 Pop game

Count on 1, 2 or 3

  1. 7 + 1 = 8
  2. 7 + 2 = 9
  3. 7 + 3 = 10
  4. 9 + 1 = 10
  5. 9 + 2 = 11
  6. 6 + 3 = 9

💡 Trick: 2 + 8? Start at 8: 9, 10!

More facts: Within 5 · Counting on · Within 10 · Make 10 · Doubles · Within 20

For parents and teachers ↓

This part is for grown-ups: the trick that makes these facts easy, pictures to draw, what to say, common mistakes, questions with answers and a free worksheet.

The trick: start big, count on small

Counting on is the bridge between counting and knowing facts. Instead of counting both groups from 1, your child says the bigger number and counts on the smaller one. It is fast and accurate for adding 1, 2 or 3. For bigger numbers, other strategies like make 10 work better.

Patterns to spot

See it: pictures to draw with your child

Draw these on paper or a whiteboard. Seeing the counters makes the fact stick.

012345678910+1+1+1
Start at 5 and take three hops of 1: 6, 7, 8. So 5 + 3 = 8.
56789101112131415+2
Start at the bigger number, 9, and hop 2: 9 + 2 = 11. This is the same as 2 + 9.

Facts you already know

Counting on covers a big share of the facts to 20. Every fact with + 1, + 2 or + 3 can be counted on in a second or two. That is 45 of the 100 facts from 0 + 0 to 9 + 9, nearly half, so this one strategy takes a lot of pressure off memorising.

In real life: Count on during everyday moments: “There are 6 eggs in the box. I’ll add 2 more. How many now?” Board games with a die are perfect, because moving a counter is counting on.

Worked examples

Example 1: 6 + 3

  1. Say the bigger number, 6, out loud or in your head.
  2. Count on 3 more, touching a finger for each: 7, 8, 9.
  3. The last number you say is the answer: 6 + 3 = 9.

Example 2: 2 + 8, turned around

  1. Counting on 8 from 2 is slow and easy to lose.
  2. Swap the numbers: 8 + 2.
  3. Start at 8 and count on 2: 9, 10.
  4. So 2 + 8 = 10.

Example 3: past 10

  1. 14 + 3.
  2. Start at 14, count on 3: 15, 16, 17.
  3. Counting on works just the same for bigger numbers, as long as the number being added is small.

Common mistakes

Counting the starting number5 + 3: says “5, 6, 7” and answers 7.Fix: the starting number is already counted. Say it, then point to the next one: “5… 6, 7, 8”.
Starting with the smaller numberCounts on 8 from 2, and loses track.Fix: always swap so you start with the bigger number. 2 + 8 is the same as 8 + 2.
Using counting on for big numbersCounts on 7 from 8, and makes a mistake.Fix: for + 4 and up, use make 10: 8 + 7 = 8 + 2 + 5 = 15.

What to say to your child

A short script for your first session. Pause after each line and let your child answer.

  1. “What is 6 + 2? Can you do it without counting from 1?” (Not sure.)
  2. “Put 6 in your head. Now count on 2. Six…” (7, 8!)
  3. “So 6 + 2 = 8. Try 3 + 7.” (3… 4, 5, 6…)
  4. “Is there a quicker way? Start with the bigger number.” (7… 8, 9, 10!)
  5. “Start big and count on small. That is counting on.”

Questions to try (answers below)

Ask these out loud or write them down. The last one is a stretch.

  1. 8 + 1
  2. 5 + 2
  3. 6 + 3
  4. 2 + 9
  5. 1 + 7
  6. 12 + 3
  7. 3 + 10
  8. A book has 9 pages. Ana reads 3 more pages than that. How many pages does she read?
  9. Stretch: 19 + 3
Show the answers
  1. 9
  2. 7
  3. 9
  4. 11
  5. 8
  6. 15
  7. 13
  8. 12
  9. 22

Games to play at home

Board games

Snakes and ladders or any dice game: move the counter by counting on from where it is.

Number line hops

Draw a number line on the pavement with chalk. Stand on a number and jump on 1, 2 or 3.

Hidden count

Put 7 coins in a cup and 2 on the table. “How many coins altogether?” Your child says 7, then counts on.

A 5-day plan for counting on addition

Ten minutes a day is enough. Short, regular practice helps facts stick far better than one long session.

Next week, repeat the round in the practice tool and compare the fact map. When most facts are green, move on to the next page.

By grade

Kindergarten and grade 1: Common Core 1.OA.C.5 asks children to relate counting to addition, such as counting on 2 to add 2, and 1.OA.C.6 lists counting on as a strategy for facts within 20. In India, counting on appears in class 1 (NCERT Joyful Mathematics).

More for each grade: Kindergarten math; Grade 1 math and the CBSE class 1 maths guide.

What comes next

Counting on grows out of counting, and it is the first strategy, not the last. When adding 1, 2 or 3 feels easy, move on to addition within 10, the make 10 strategy and doubles. Counting back works the same way for subtraction: 9 − 2 is “9… 8, 7”.

Worksheet and more practice

Print a free worksheet with an answer key, or keep practicing online with the addition practice trainer.

← Within 5Within 10 →

More: addition for kids · addition facts strategies · addition chart · number bonds

Last reviewed

Questions parents ask

What is counting on in addition?

Starting at one number and counting up to add the other. For 6 + 3, say 6, then count 7, 8, 9. The answer is 9.

Why start counting on from the bigger number?

Because there is less to count. 2 + 9 means counting on 9 steps from 2, but only 2 steps from 9. Both give 11.

When should children stop counting on?

For + 1, + 2 and + 3, counting on is fine for life. For bigger numbers, move to make 10 and doubles in grade 1.

What grade learns counting on?

Kindergarten and grade 1. It is part of Common Core 1.OA.C.5 and 1.OA.C.6.

How is counting on different from counting all?

Counting all starts at 1 and counts both groups. Counting on starts at one number and only counts the other group, so it is faster.