What is this skill?
This skill asks a child to start counting from any number, not just from 1. If you say "seven," your child should be able to say "eight" right away, without quietly counting "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven" first. In kindergarten the range is up to 20, so it includes the teen numbers, which are the trickiest part of the counting sequence.
The underlying idea is that each number is exactly one more than the number before it. A number line, with the numbers in order from left to right, makes that pattern visible: the next number is always one step to the right.
Why it matters
Counting on is the bridge between counting and adding. When a child solves 6 + 3 by saying "six... seven, eight, nine," they are counting on from 6. Children who can only count from 1 have to count the whole group every time, which is slow and error-prone once numbers get bigger.
Knowing what comes next, and later what comes before, is also how children make sense of the number line, compare numbers and eventually understand place value, where 19 is followed by 20 because the ones roll over into a new ten.
Common mistakes
- Starting back at 1 to find the next number. This is a sign the sequence is memorized as a chant rather than understood as a series of steps. Practicing short counts from different starting points helps.
- Mixing up the teen numbers, for example jumping from 13 to 15 or saying "eleventeen." The teen names are irregular in English, so they simply need more practice than 1-10.
- Giving the number before instead of the number after. Using words like "one more" and showing it on a number line or with a row of objects makes the direction clear.
How to help at home
- Play "I say, you say": you say a number between 1 and 19, your child says the next one. Then switch, and let your child try to catch you out.
- Count on during everyday moments. While climbing stairs, start from the fourth step: "Four... five, six." In the car, count passing red cars from wherever you left off yesterday.
- Lay out a row of 15-20 coins or blocks. Cover the first few with your hand, say how many are hidden, and ask your child to keep counting the rest from there.
- Draw a simple number line from 0 to 20 on a long strip of paper and let your child hop a small toy along it, saying each number as it lands.
Worked examples
These are real questions from the Tutorsaurus what number comes next? practice, with the answers worked out.
Example 1
What number comes after 5?
Choices: 7, 6, 8, 5
Answer: 6. After 5 comes 6.
Example 2
What number comes after 12?
Choices: 11, 16, 12, 13
Answer: 13. After 12 comes 13.
Example 3
What number comes after 15?
Choices: 6, 18, 14, 16
Answer: 16. After 15 comes 16.