Count Around The Circle

Grade 2 Mathematics routines

Count Around The Circle

Standards of Mathematical Practice (SMP) #2, #3, #7

Count Around the Circle is a routine that involves whole-class participation, with each person saying a number as you count around the circle. Two expectations should be established with this routine: Everyone needs to listen to each person and count in their heads as each person says his/her number (active participation), and be sure to give everyone some think time if they get stuck.

DIRECTIONS

Ideas for Counting Around the Circle include counting by ones, tens, fives, twos starting at zero and then starting at other numbers, counting by tens starting from 53 or 320, as well as counting backwards by ones or tens. 

Additionally, in second grade you can count up and back with coins, counting by pennies, dimes, nickels, quarters, and half dollars.  You can also count around with time.  Count around the clock by the minute, 5 minute, 10 minute, and even 20 minute intervals. 

Count Around helps students develop fluency with place value patterns and allows students to become familiar with patterns through counting. As they listen to one another, students should be encouraged to share their thinking if they disagree with a classmate. When students are given the opportunity to observe and notice patterns, you will likely be amazed at what they notice!

Some key questions include:

First Grade Examples:

• If we count by tens starting with Sam and go around the circle, what number do you think Ashley will say?
• If we count around the circle three times by ones starting at 23, what number do you think we will stop on?
• If we start at 45 and count backwards by ones, how many times will we need to go around the circle to get to zero?
• If we count by tens will we go over 100?

• If we count around the circle this direction (clockwise) and then count around in the opposite direction (counter clockwise) will we finish our count on the same value?

Second Grade Examples:

• If we start at 245 and count backwards by ones or by tens, how many times will we need to go around the circle to get to zero?
• We have 22 students today.  If we start at 31, what number will the last person in the circle say?  What if we start with the last person at our ending number (53 in this example) and count backwards.  What number will the first person in our circle say?  Why does this happen?  Will it always happen?  You can show this on an open number line with counting up or counting back between two values to find difference.
• If we start at 1:00 and count up by 5 minutes for each person, what time do you think the last person will say?  How much time is there between the first person and the last person?
• If we start at $5.00 and each person takes away one dime, how many times will we need to go around the circle to get to zero? 
• If I list the numbers we said on the board, what pattern do you observe?  What digits or place values change and which digits or place values stay the same? 
• If we start at 234 and count up by ten, will anyone say 356?

VIDEO:

Routine - Count Around the Circle Links to an external site. on Vimeo Links to an external site..