Grade 2 Mathematics Whole Numbers – Foward And Back Counting Notes

Counting forward means saying numbers in order from a smaller number to a bigger number. Example: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9...

Counting backward means saying numbers in order from a bigger number to a smaller number. Example: 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...

A number line helps us see forward and back counting. We will show 0–20.

Use your finger to move from one number to the next:

➡️ To count forward from 5 to 9: 5 ➜ 6 ➜ 7 ➜ 8 ➜ 9

⬅️ To count backward from 9 to 5: 9 ➜ 8 ➜ 7 ➜ 6 ➜ 5

• You have 7 mangoes (maembe). Count forward to 10: 7, 8, 9, 10.
• A class has 12 desks. Count backward from 12 to 8: 12, 11, 10, 9, 8.
• If you start at 14 pupils and 2 leave, count backwards: 14, 13, 12.

1. Count forward from 0 to 5. (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
2. Count forward from 6 to 10. (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
3. Count backward from 10 to 6. (10, 9, 8, 7, 6)
4. Count backward from 15 to 11. (15, 14, 13, 12, 11)

Take 10 stones, beads or bottle tops. Put them in a row. Practice:

• Start at the first stone and count forwards to the end.
• Start at the last stone and count backwards to the start.
• Ask a friend to hide some stones and you count forward to find how many are left.

1. Write numbers: count forward from 3 to 8.
2. Write numbers: count backward from 8 to 3.
3. Fill the missing numbers: 4, __, 6, __, 8. (Fill two blanks)
4. Start at 17 and count forward two numbers. What do you get?
5. Start at 20 and count backward three numbers. What do you get?

1. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
2. 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3
3. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 (blanks are 5 and 7)
4. 17, 18, 19 → answer: 19
5. 20, 19, 18, 17 → answer: 17