Mathematics · Kindergarten

Active learning ideas

Counting to 100 by Ones and Tens

Active learning turns abstract counting into concrete movement and visual patterns, which strengthens memory and reasoning for young learners. Counting to 100 by ones and tens requires both auditory rhythm and spatial awareness, supported best through kinesthetic and visual engagement.

Common Core State StandardsCCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.A.1
15–25 minPairs → Whole Class4 activities

Activity 01

Stations Rotation15 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Count and Move

Students stand in a circle and count by ones to 100, each student saying the next number and stepping to the right. On every tenth number, the whole class claps loudly. After reaching 100, repeat counting only the clap numbers (10, 20, 30...) to make the tens pattern explicit through movement and sound.

Compare counting by ones to counting by tens to 100.

Facilitation TipDuring Count and Move, have students stomp or clap for each count to reinforce the rhythm of counting by ones and tens.

What to look forProvide students with a blank hundreds chart. Ask them to color the numbers when counting by ones up to 20. Then, ask them to circle the numbers when counting by tens up to 100.

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Activity 02

Stations Rotation25 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Hundreds Chart Mysteries

Cover several numbers on a printed hundreds chart with sticky notes. Students work in small groups to figure out the hidden numbers using the patterns visible in uncovered rows and columns. Groups record their answers and reasoning before removing the sticky notes to check.

Explain the advantage of counting by tens when counting a large group of objects.

What to look forPresent students with a scenario: 'Imagine you have 50 toy cars to count. Would it be faster to count them one by one, or to count them in groups of ten? Explain why.' Listen for student reasoning about efficiency.

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Activity 03

Think-Pair-Share20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Ones or Tens?

Present a jar of 40 small objects. Ask partners to predict which would be faster: counting by ones or by tens? Both methods are then tried with the actual objects. Pairs compare the experience and discuss when counting by tens is more useful than counting by ones.

Predict the next number when counting by tens from 30.

What to look forGive each student a card with a starting number (e.g., 30). Ask them to write the next three numbers when counting by tens. Then, ask them to write the next three numbers when counting by ones.

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Activity 04

Gallery Walk15 min · Pairs

Gallery Walk: Pattern Posters

Post strips of paper showing the counting-by-tens sequence (10, 20, 30...) with several numbers covered. Students walk through, fill in missing numbers, and add one pattern observation: what do all these numbers have in common? Discuss observations as a class at the end.

Compare counting by ones to counting by tens to 100.

What to look forProvide students with a blank hundreds chart. Ask them to color the numbers when counting by ones up to 20. Then, ask them to circle the numbers when counting by tens up to 100.

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Templates

Templates that pair with these Mathematics activities

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A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach counting by ones first to build a strong linear foundation, then introduce counting by tens as a pattern within that sequence. Avoid rushing past decade transitions—these require explicit practice and visual anchoring. Research shows that pairing movement with counting improves retention and number sense in kindergarteners.

Students will count accurately to 100 by ones and by tens, recognizing the relationship between the two sequences and the decade transitions. They will also explain why counting by tens is efficient and how it relates to place value.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

  • During Hundreds Chart Mysteries, watch for students who can recite the tens sequence but cannot point to or identify the corresponding numbers on the hundreds chart.

    Have students use a hundreds chart to physically circle or highlight each multiple of ten as they chant, ensuring each step in the chant matches a visual representation.

  • During Count and Move, watch for students who say the tens sequence quickly without a sense of the value of each number.

    Pause after each group of ten and ask, 'How many groups of ten have we counted so far?' to connect the chant to the quantity it represents.

  • During Gallery Walk: Pattern Posters, watch for students who do not see the relationship between the ones and tens sequences when comparing the posters side by side.

    Ask students to trace with their fingers the path from 30 to 40 on the ones poster and then the tens poster, explicitly naming the numbers they pass to highlight the embedded tens.

Methods used in this brief

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