• Emphasize the even numbers when COUNTING TILL YOU GET THERE.
• Count some numbers loudly, others softly.
• Adult gives hints as they count: 12, 14, 16, 18, (softly) 19, 20, 22

      COUNTING BY is really a group of games. Players simply count by twos, tens, fives, fours, hundreds, etc. These games should be played after games like COUNTING TILL YOU GET THERE. They are building blocks for multiplication and pattern recognition.

      In COUNTING TILL YOU GET THERE the emphasis the Adult has made on the sounds of twenty, thirty, and so on, has prepared the child to count: ten, twenty, thirty, forty. He or she is ready for COUNTING BY TENS. Emphasis on the even numbers prepared the way for COUNTING BY TWOS.

      Here's how the game of COUNTING BY TWOS may be introduced.

      Adult: "I have a good idea. Let's count some numbers loudly and some numbers very softly. I'll start, and whispers, " one."

      Child in a normal voice: "two."

      Adult whispers," three."

      Child says in a normal voice, "four."

      The players continue, then may exchange roles. After playing this game a few times or perhaps more than a few times, the players would try something like the following.

      Child: Let's count by twos.

      Adult: O.K.

      Child: Two.

      Adult: Four.

      Child: Six.

      Adult: Eight.

      Child: Ten.

      Adult: Twelve.

      The Child is silent. The Adult whispers, "Thirteen."

      Child: "Fourteen."

      I believe most students find the two, five, and ten times tables the easiest because they have heard this sort of counting out loud. I think this counting will also make the four, seven, or any times table easier for people to complete.

      As with COUNTING TILL YOU GET THERE, I believe that adult and child should alternate saying the number out loud. Using as many senses as possible has been shown to be an important teaching strategy. Before reading an analog display clock, a clock with hands rather than digits, COUNTING BY FIVES is an important skill builder. It is important for the child to do counting out loud, as in COUNTING TILL YOU GET THERE, before and while COUNTING BY FIVE is played. These counting games may be played even while the child is older and studying the times tables or multiplication in school.