Math Intervention 3–5 Grade

28 Addition and Subtraction Concepts

What are Counting On and Counting Back?

Counting on and counting back are strategies that help students

with addition and subtraction. Counting on and counting back

are effi cient strategies when the addition equation is +1, +2,

or +3 and when the subtraction equation is –1, –2, or –3. In a

situation such as 48 + 23, counting on by ones is not the most

effi cient strategy because it is too time consuming. Students

need to know how to count on and count back, but they also

need to judge when it is a good idea to count on or count back.

CCSS

Counting and Cardinality

Operations and Algebraic Thinking

Number and Operations in Base Ten

Formative Assessment

To fi nd out if a student can count on and count back ask the

student to name one more than several given numbers

(23, 57, 79). Then try two more, three more, one less, two less,

and three less.

23 and one more 57 and one more 79 and one more

23 and two more 57 and two more 79 and two more

23 and three more 57 and three more 79 and three more

One less than 23 One less than 57 One less than 79

Two less than 23 Two less than 57 Two less than 79

Three less than 23 Three less than 57 Three less than 79

Identify which situations the students answer correctly and how

quickly the students respond, to determine how comfortable the

students are with counting on and counting back by ones.

Counting On and Counting Back................................................................

CONCEPT: