Counting forwards and backwards (age 6+)
Count forwards and backwards in tens from any number (not just multiples of 10)
Lesson
Set out your lesson
“Counting forwards and backwards (age 6+) means counting in tens from any two-digit starting number, not only from 10, 20, or 30. When you add ten, the ones digit stays the same and the tens digit goes up by one. When you subtract ten, the ones digit stays the same and the tens digit goes down by one. We will build a short spoken chain both ways, then try without pointing at every step.”
Bring to the table
- Paper and pencil
- About 40 large counters or dried beans grouped in tens if a concrete check helps (parent keeps tiny pieces away from mouths)
Extra for the adult
Worked example. From 7: 7, 17, 27, 37 (forward in tens). From 83: 83, 73, 63, 53 (backward in tens). The ones digit stays put; only the tens digit changes by one each jump.
Optional challenge. For Counting forwards and backwards (age 6+), start at 96 and count one ten forward (106), then from 12 count one ten backward (2), and explain what happens near 100 or near 0. Optional: invent a short “ten more each time” story using a page number from a book.
What to notice. Keep one parent note: starting numbers; forward and backward chains spoken or written; whether tens groups were used; support used. A photo of counters alone does not show the counting pattern. This session samples a few starts, not the full 1–120 range.
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Teaching approaches
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1 approach
Counting forwards and backwards (age 6+) means counting in tens from any two-digit starting number, not only from 10, 20, or 30. When you add ten, the ones digit stays the same and the tens digit goes up by one. When you subtract ten, the ones digit stays the same and the tens digit goes down by one. We will build a short spoken chain both ways, then try without pointing at every step.
Spend about 12 minutes counting forward and backward in tens from a non-multiple start, writing a short chain, checking one jump with tens groups if needed, then doing a fresh backward start.
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Learning resources
Extra practice links — they do not replace Gakuva’s teaching approach.
Topmarks · Practice link — not the full lesson
Helicopter Rescue
Before you open · source notes
Count on and back across two-digit numbers on larger charts for age-6 counting forwards/backwards practice.
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Before you openSave a Count On & Back screenshot crossing a decade (for example 28→32 or 41→37) plus a parent note of the spoken sequence.
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Source, access and review notes
Unknown — link only
Topmarks · Practice link — not the full lesson
Caterpillar Ordering
Before you open · source notes
Order numbers and complete sequences counting on or back in steps. Choose counting sequences rather than only ordering shuffled cards.
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Before you openSave a completed sequence screenshot and a parent note naming the step size and direction.
Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.
Source, access and review notes
Unknown — link only
Check understanding
- Count 7, 17, 27, 37 … from a non-multiple starting point
- Count backwards in tens from 83
- Explain the pattern of adding/subtracting 10
“If your child starts at 37 and you ask them to count up in tens, can they say 37, 47, 57, 67 — crossing over into the next hundred without getting stuck?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Procedural
- Subject
- Mathematics
- Domain
- Counting & Cardinality
- Age range
- Ages 6–8
Standards