• What's the number that follows twelve?
• What's the number that comes next if I say: 10, 9, 8, 7?
• What's the number that comes next if I say: 36, 35?
• What comes after 22, 24, 26?
• What's the number that comes next if I say: 1, 3, 5?
• What's the next number when I say 300, 400?
• What's the number I'm thinking of: it's less than 10 but bigger than 5?
• What's the number I'm thinking of:
  it's even and it's less than 4?
  it's bigger than 16 but less than 18?
  it's odd and less than 3?
  it ends in five and is bigger than 20 but less than 30 it ends in five and is bigger
        than 23 but less than 31?

      Questions typical of this game follow. Each question represents a different level of difficulty or sophistication.

      What's the number that follows twelve?

      What's the number that comes before seventy-two?

      What's the number that comes next if I say: 10, 9, 8, 7?

      What's the number that comes next if I say: 36, 35?

      What comes after 22, 24, 26?

      What's the number that comes next if I say: 38, 36, 34?

      What's the number that comes next if I say: 1, 3, 5?

      What's the next number when I say 300, 400?

      What's the number I'm thinking of: it's less than 10 but bigger than 5?

      What's the number I'm thinking of: it's even and it's less than 4?

      None of these questions appears easy. They are not easy questions to answer, but a child who plays well COUNTING TILL YOU GET THERE, COUNTING BY ..., COUNTING BACKWARDS, and WHAT COMES AFTER/ WHAT COMES BEFORE? should be able to answer many of them.

      The questions involving decreasing sequences are more difficult than questions involving increasing sequences. Use these questions sparingly and only with the more sophisticated child. They are advanced games.

      The last two questions also need a bit of explanation. The first has more than one answer and should be treated as a guessing game if the child is inexperienced with this type of question.

      The Adult: "What's the number I'm thinking of: it's less than 10 but bigger than 5?"

      The Child: "Is it 6?"

      The Adult: "No."

      The Child: "Is it 8?"

      The Adult: "Yes, you guessed it."

      This type of question should be asked often before proceeding to the unique-answer questions listed last. It is the most difficult type of question and substantial time should be spent asking this type of question both concurrently with and prior to playing the game of I'M THINKING OF A NUMBER.

      Questions of this last type are: What's the number I'm thinking of?

      It's bigger than 16 but less than 18; or

      It's odd and less than 3; or

      It ends in five and is bigger than 20 but less than 30; or

      It ends in five and is bigger than 23 but less than 31.