Source: California Department of Education. 2009. California Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations Series. California Early Learning Videos.
Responding Later
Responds to changes in the number of objects observed or interacted with
Possible Examples
Attends to one moving toy on a mobile, then to another.
Grasps one toy, and then lets go of it while reaching for another toy that has been introduced by a familiar adult.
Holds an object in each hand, and then touches the two objects
Source: California Department of Social Services. 2016.
Exploring Earlier
Demonstrates awareness of quantity
Possible Examples
Communicates, “More,” during lunch.
Dumps small cars out of a bucket.
Gestures for more when playing with play dough.
Shows excitement when an adult offers another book.
Exploring Later
Uses number names, but not always correctly, in situations related to number or quantity
Possible Examples
Communicates, “Dos,” [“Two,” in Spanish] and holds up two cups in the play kitchen.
Communicates, “One, two, five, one, two,” while pointing randomly to objects in a group.
Signs, “Two,” in response to the question of “How old are you?”
Building Earlier
Identifies small quantities without counting, up to three
Possible Examples
Communicates a desire for two apple slices after noticing that a peer has two apple slices.
Communicates, “Three dogs,” while looking at a picture of three dogs.
Communicates, “Now I have one bear and you have one,” while giving a peer a stuffed bear.
Source: California Department of Social Services. 2016.
Building Middle
Counts up to five objects using one-to-one correspondence; and Recites numbers in order, one through ten
Possible Examples
Counts out loud, “一, 二, 三, 四, 五,” [“One, two, three, four, five,” in Chinese] saying the next number as the next cup is placed on the table.
Chants numbers from one to 10 in order while waiting for a tricycle.
Counts, “One, two, three,” out loud while pointing to each of three squares on a light box.
Source: California Department of Social Services. 2016.
Building Later
Shows understanding that the last number counted is the total number of objects in the group
Possible Examples
Counts ducks in a storybook, “One, two, three, four, five,” and then communicates that there are five.
Communicates that there are six rocks after counting a collection of six rocks.
Counts four pencils and says, “Apat,” [“Four,” in Tagalog] when asked how many pencils there are.
Source: California Department of Social Services. 2016.
Integrating Earlier
Solves simple everyday problems involving numbers by counting up to 10 objects using one-to-one correspondence; and Recites numbers correctly, up to 20
Possible Examples
Counts six chairs, then counts seven children, and communicates, “We need one more chair.”
Counts accurately to 20 while marching.
Counts on fingers to determine how many napkins to get so that each child at a table of six has one.
Source: California Department of Social Services. 2016.
