Counting On from the Larger Number to Add More Quickly

Here is where this shows up in real life. A cashier counting change starts at the price. Then she counts up to the money given. Nobody starts over at one. Counting on is faster than counting everything again. It is also more accurate. Watch for it today in stores and at home.

Get your eyes and your fingers ready. To add 3 plus 8, do not start at three. Start at eight, the larger number. Then count on three more. Say nine, ten, eleven. You may switch the order, because addition allows it. Starting bigger means fewer counts and less work.

Hold the larger number in your head. Use your fingers to track the small hops. Three hops means three fingers. When your fingers run out, you have arrived at the answer. Watch out for the most common mistake. If you start at eight and say eight, nine, ten, you land one short.

Start saying numbers with the very next one. Say nine, ten, eleven. Your fingers track the hops, not the start. Careful, honest counting is good work, and God is pleased when we do our work well. When you spot counting on today, tell someone what you noticed and how you knew.