Counting by 2's

 If you're like me, you count by 2's a lot.  I find myself counting by 2's much more than 5's or 10's - it's just so handy.  I noticed while making our 2x2 necklace, that several kids could count by 2's by rote, but were unable to count actual objects.  Well, that would not do!

So, I came up with a few activities that I thought I would share.

 First, I had the kids write numbers 1-30 then highlight them, counting by 2's.

They used the number chart to help them count beads strung onto chenille strips by 2's.  I made a lot of strips using different beads and numbers.  By the end the kids were doing a much better job of counting by 2's and felt confident.

 The next week we switched it up by having the kids count different kinds of objects.

I filled several bags with different items that could be counted easily by 2's.  Right now, I made sure that the amounts are even, but as they become more advanced, odd numbers would be a fun challenge.

The kids dumped the bag out onto one side of the tray and then slide the objects over by 2's to the other side.  For many, this activity made a lot of sense and they really started to get it!  I had a little recording sheet to write down their numbers and number grids to help them count if needed.

In a few weeks, we'll revisit these activities and check for progress.