K.CC.2: Count Forward from Any Number
Also written as K.CC.A.2 and CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.A.2 · Cluster: Know number names and the count sequence.
The Official Wording
Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of having to begin at 1).
Common Core State Standards, Kindergarten, Counting & Cardinality · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What K.CC.2 Means in Plain English
Kindergartners pick up the count in the middle. Say “seven” and they continue 8, 9, 10, 11 without whispering 1 to 6 first. The number names are the same ones they know from counting to 100 (K.CC.1); the new skill is finding the spot and moving forward.
This is the root of counting on for addition: a child who can start at 7 can later solve 7 + 2 by saying 8, 9. In 1st grade the same move stretches to 120, starting anywhere in that range (1.NBT.1), and counting on becomes an addition strategy (1.OA.5).
K.CC.2 I Can Statements
- I can start counting from a number my teacher says.
- I can keep counting without going back to 1.
- I can say the number that comes after a number I know.
K.CC.2 Worked Example
One count that starts at 7, with the moment where the child has to find the spot and go forward.
The teacher says “seven” and points to the 7 on a number line. Count forward to 15.
- Find the starting number first. Touch the 7 and say it, no counting from 1.7
- The next number is one more. Hop one space to the right.7, 8
- Keep hopping and saying the next name each time, in the same order as always.8, 9, 10, 11, 12
- The teens still go in order, past the tricky-sounding ones.12, 13, 14, 15
- Stop at the number the teacher asked for.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Check it: Count from 1 on a hundreds chart and stop at 15: the squares after 7 are the same eight numbers you just said.
Common Mistakes with K.CC.2
Restarting at 1
Asked to count from 7, the child whispers “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6” and then says 7, 8, 9 out loud
Try this: Cover the numbers below the start with a hand on the number line so only 7 and up are visible, then begin.
Repeating the start number
“Seven ... seven, eight, nine”, with the given number counted as the first step
Try this: Have the child touch the 7 silently, then say the first number out loud on the hop to 8.
Losing the thread at a new ten
“17, 18, 19, 30” when the start was 14
Try this: Practice short runs that cross a ten, like 18 to 23 and 28 to 33, before longer counts from a random start.
Where K.CC.2 Fits
Practice K.CC.2
Quick Check
- Start at 6 and count forward four numbers. What do you say?
- What number comes right after 13?
- Lena has counted 11 crayons into the box and a friend hands her three more. Keep her count going: what does she say for the three new crayons?