Chapter 11: How Many Times?

Two ears, two ears, two ears , three children each have two ears. How many ears in all? When we see the same number again and again, we are about to learn something exciting , counting in equal groups!

What we'll do in this chapter

Count equal groups of things.
See that 2 + 2 + 2 is the same as "three twos".
Use skip counting , by 2s, 5s and 10s.
Solve "how many in all" stories with equal groups.

The big idea

When you have 3 plates with 2 mangoes each, how many mangoes in all?

2 + 2 + 2 = 6

We added the same number three times. That is repeated addition. Later in school we will call this multiplication.

For now, just enjoy spotting equal groups everywhere:

4 wheels on each car
2 hands for every child
5 fingers on every hand
10 toes on every pair of feet

We can also do skip counting , that means jumping over numbers to count faster.

By 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12…

By 5s: 5, 10, 15, 20…

By 10s: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50…

Once you learn skip counting, you can count big groups in a flash!

Let's play!

🐔 Chicken Legs

Every chicken has 2 legs. How many legs do 4 chickens have? Count by 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8! So 4 chickens have 8 legs.

🖐️ Five Fingers

Hold up one hand , 5 fingers. Hold up another , that's 10. Now ask a friend , 15! And another , 20! You just counted by 5s.

🌼 Flower Petals

Pick a flower with the same number of petals every time. Place 3 flowers on a table. If each has 4 petals, count: 4, 8, 12. So 12 petals in all.

🪜 Skip the Steps

Climb stairs by jumping two at a time. Count: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10! Can you climb 5 at a time? Try 10 at a time (only if it's safe!).

A small story

Beena's mother packed lunch boxes for the family. Every box had 2 idlis. There were 4 lunch boxes , one for papa, one for mama, one for big brother and one for Beena. "How many idlis did you make, mama?" Beena asked. Mama said, "Count by 2s, baby!" Beena counted on her fingers , 2, 4, 6, 8. "Eight idlis, mama!" Mama gave her an extra one as a prize.

Quick check

There are 3 bicycles. Each has 2 wheels. How many wheels in all?
Count by 2s up to 10.
Count by 5s: 5, 10, ___, ___, ___.
4 cows. Each cow has 4 legs. How many legs?
Two hands. Five fingers on each. How many fingers?

What did we learn?

When the same number repeats, we add it again and again.
Skip counting helps us count fast , by 2s, 5s and 10s.
Equal groups are everywhere , wheels, fingers, petals!