Counting forwards and backwards
Count forwards and backwards in steps of 3 from 0
Lesson
Set out your lesson
“Counting forwards and backwards in this lesson means counting in steps of 3 from 0: 0, 3, 6, 9, and so on, then reversing the chain. Each step adds or removes three, not one. We will build a short forward chain, reverse it, then try a stretch without tapping every number.”
Bring to the table
- Paper and pencil
- A number line or list space for multiples of 3 (0–30 is enough)
- Optional: counters in groups of three for one concrete check (parent keeps tiny pieces away from mouths)
Extra for the adult
Worked example. Forward from 0: 0, 3, 6, 9, 12. Backward from 12: 12, 9, 6, 3, 0. From 15 forward: 18, 21, 24. Each step changes the number by three.
Optional challenge. For Counting forwards and backwards, start at 21 and count forward past 30 to 36, then backward from 33 to 24, explaining that each jump is still three. Optional: clap every third count while someone counts by ones to 30.
What to notice. Keep one parent note: chains spoken or written; mid-chain starts; whether groups of three were used; support used. A photo of counters alone does not show the counting pattern. This session samples a short range, not mastery of every multiple of 3.
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Teaching approaches
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1 approach
Counting forwards and backwards in this lesson means counting in steps of 3 from 0: 0, 3, 6, 9, and so on, then reversing the chain. Each step adds or removes three, not one. We will build a short forward chain, reverse it, then try a stretch without tapping every number.
Spend about 12 minutes counting forward and backward in steps of 3 from 0, writing a short chain to 30, checking one jump with groups of three if needed, then continuing from a mid-chain 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
Number-chart game with Find a Number and Count On & Back modes for counting forwards and backwards.
Free · no login · ads
Before you openSave a screenshot from Count On & Back and a parent note of one forward and one backward count sequence.
Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.
Source, access and review notes
Unknown — link only
Toy Theater · Practice link — not the full lesson
Number Line
Before you open · source notes
Adult-guided number line for hopping forward and backward while counting aloud.
Free · no login · ads
Before you openSave a number-line screenshot showing hops and a parent note of the spoken forward and backward counts.
Opening this link does not save learning or assess mastery.
Source, access and review notes
Unknown — link only
Check understanding
- Count 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 … up to at least 30
- Count backwards in 3s from 30
- Identify the next number in a sequence of multiples of 3
“Can your child count in threes — 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 — far enough to reach 30 without losing track or needing to start over?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Procedural
- Subject
- Mathematics
- Domain
- Counting & Cardinality
- Age range
- Ages 6–8
Standards