Page 1 of 2
INTERVENTION STRATEGY:
Kinesthetic Activities to Increase Counting Skills
Brief Description: These strategies are a series of activities for developing counting
skills, including one-to- one correspondence skills, which are a necessary prerequisite for
counting objects. These are very beginning activities to develop counting skills. These
activities may be varied and grouped throughout an intervention period to keep interest
up. This strategy may be combined with the Activities to Increase PreNumber Skills.
Materials Needed: These vary by activity and are specified with each below, as are
different variations to each activity.
Implementation: These strategies may be implemented individually or in small groups
by a teacher, paraprofessional or adult volunteer.
1. Tapping/Clapping/ Drumming – Using some type or percussion, such as
clapping hands, drums, rhythm sticks, maracas, etc., the children learn to tap out
the numbers in order, tapping each time they call out a number. Teachers may
vary the types of percussion for increased interest. Feedback and instruction
should be provided as necessary along with modeling of the task. Begin with one
through ten and then progress to 20 when counting to ten has been mastered with
one to one correspondence.
2. Manipulative - The children are given some type of manipulative such as unifix
cubes, counting bears, beads, etc. The children are instructed to move a
manipulative for each number. The teacher then gives feedback on the correct
number. This may be varied by using bingo markers on white paper or wet
sponges on colored paper to tally the count. A string of beads may also be made
for each child where the child moves the beads from one end of the string to the
other, much like an abacus. Feedback and instruction should be provided as
necessary along with modeling of the task.
3. Number Rock! – Have a deck of number flashcards. Each child selects a card
from the deck and identifies the number for the group. The students then “rock
out” the number by counting and rocking their hips back and forth or hopping
from side to side.
4. Bean Bag Toss – Sitting in a circle, the children are each given a number card. A
child then tosses a bean bag to another student. When the child catches it, the
thrower must clap and count out the number on the catcher’s card. The game
continues until each child has had a turn.
5. Number Hopscotch – Uses a beanbag and a hopscotch grid. The child draws a
number card from a deck and names the number on the card. They then throw a
beanbag to the corresponding square on the hopscotch grid. As they hop to the
square they should repeat each number in the square. As a variation, a long spiral
snake may be drawn without numbers in it. In this case, the children begin at one
end and all must hop to the other end to finish the game (progressing only as far
as the number of hops the card they draw will allow on each turn).
Intervention Schedule: These should be done for brief periods (approximately 10-15
minutes) daily. Progress monitoring should focus on counting and/or number
identification.
Tool/Attachments:
Number flashcards can be found at this web site:
http://www.eslflashcards.com/preview.php?id=35
*Intervention information compiled by the National Association of School
Page 2 of 2
Psychologists.