Free One to One Correspondence Counting Cards

One of the most significant number sense skills children need to know in preparation for formal schooling is one to one correspondence in counting.  This post includes free counting cards and a bunch of different ways to use them so your little one can perfect their one to one correspondence skills.

All About One to One Correspondence + Free Counting Cards

Preschool number sense skills include a range of skills, including rote counting, number matching, and teaching children to count the correct number when given a specific number of objects. These math skills are critical in preschool.

So it teaching one to one correspondence skills in early childhood.

Naturally, children love learning math through play, and learning to count with these counting cards can be really playful. Let me show you how.

FAQ About Teaching Math to Preschoolers

Related Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Teaching One to One Correspondence

The Ultimate Guide to Teaching One to One Correspondence

One to One Correspondence Activities for Preschoolers

Are you wondering what the meaning of one to one correspondence is?

It is the ability to match each member of one set with another member of a matching set. 

For example, matching seven rubber ducks with a picture of seven rubber ducks.  While this sounds like a very simple skill, it is a foundational to math success, and it can take weeks, or even an entire school year for a preschooler to master. 

For this reason it is incredibly important to provide children with multiple opportunities to practice.

Materials

The Set Up

Print the counting cards on heavy card stock. Laminate for added durability. Cut apart and place them on a tray with a small bowl of math counters or manipulatives.

Don’t Forget to Make the Counters fun!

Before we get into one to one correspondence examples and activities, let’s talk about how to make counting objects even more fun. We know that children learn best by playing math games and having fun will also help young children to grasp the concept easier.

Here are some easy and fun ways to change up these basic counting cards.

• buttons
• cleaned coins
• pom poms
• wooden disks
• floral marbles
• large beads
• dried pasta
• mini erasers
• dyed beans
• polished pebbles
• legos
• googly eyes
• snap cubes
• game pieces
• eraser tops

Of course, thematic math counters make these cards a blast, too!

Counting Sets

Here is one of the most basic activities for one to one correspondence.  Matching sets.

Invite your child to count the number of dots on each card, and then read the number. To ensure accurate counting, it’s important to have your preschooler touch each dot as it is counted.

Matching Sets

After counting sets in small groups, your preschooler to move on to matching sets. Invite your preschooler to use one of those super fun math counters from the list above and cover each dot as it is counted.

For added counting practice, have your preschooler first count the set on the card by touching each dot, and then count a second time as they place a manipulative over each one.

Duplicating Sets

After the first two one to one correspondence activities are mastered, preschoolers can start duplicating sets. This is where they count the set printed on the card, and then create a duplicate set off the card using manipulatives.

Bonus One to One Correspondence Activities

Here are even more ideas on how to teach one to one correspondence while using these free counting cards.

• Roll a dice and find the matching card.
• Select a card and count the corresponding number into an egg carton.
• Assign one number of the day and play with that number all day long!

Get Counting Lesson Plans Done for You!

Take the guesswork out of how to teach counting to preschoolers, including how to help them master one to one correspondence, with this incredible preschool math curriculum!

Get Your Free Counting Cards Here!

Can’t live without these free counting cards? Grab yours below!