Count Around

Grade 5 G/T Mathematics routines

Count Around

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

Count Around 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 to count in their heads as each person says his/her number. Be sure to provide wait-time if students ‘get stuck.’ Count Around helps students develop fluency with place value patterns and allows students to become familiar with multiplication patterns through skip 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!

DIRECTIONS/ Variations:

• The teacher can record ‘the count’ on the board vertically so all students can observe and identify patterns. This also supports students in identifying the next number. Pause mid-count or after finishing to ask students what they notice.

• You can start at any given number and count forwards or backwards by 5s, 10s, 25s, 50s, 100s, 1000s, etc. Example: Begin at 728 and count by 10s. A target number can be established.
• We will stop at 1,048. How many times will we need to count around the circle to reach 1,048?
•  Will anyone say the number 984?  Explain.

• Count up or back with decimals starting at a given number by a given interval.
• Build fraction sense by counting by a given fraction. Start at 6 , count by   around the circle. Possible questions to ask:
  • If we count around the circle twice, who can predict a number we will say/land on?
  • When we have counted one time all the way around the circle will we end with a whole number or a mixed number?
  • If Maya starts the count, will we reach 9 before or after the count reaches Maya again? How do you know?
  • How will our final value change if we count by   all the way around the circle one time?

• You can also start at a number (or a multiple of a number) and count by that number. Count forward and backward.
  • Start at 8 and count by 8. (Link skip counting to multiplication.)
• Examples:

• Start at 96 and count backwards by 6.
• Start at 6 and count by 3. (Students can notice patterns and relationships based on factors and multiples.)
• 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? 

VIDEO:

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