K.CC.5: Count to Answer How Many
Also written as K.CC.B.5 and CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.5 · Cluster: Count to tell the number of objects.
The Official Wording
Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.
Common Core State Standards, Kindergarten, Counting & Cardinality · Read it at the source · Checked October 14, 2026
What K.CC.5 Means in Plain English
Kindergartners count sets and say how many: 20 counters in rows, 12 chairs in a circle, 8 crayons scattered on a table. A circle has no obvious start and a scattered pile invites double counting, so scattered sets stop at 10. Asked for 14 bears, they count out 14.
Counting out a given number is harder: the child has to stop at 14 instead of running to the end of the pile. Rows of counters are the first arrays students meet. In 1st grade the counted sets grow to 120 (1.NBT.1) and get sorted into categories (1.MD.4).
K.CC.5 I Can Statements
- I can count up to 20 things in a row, grid or circle.
- I can count up to 10 things that are scattered.
- I can count out the number of objects someone asks for.
K.CC.5 Worked Example
Twenty counters in four rows of five, the array arrangement the standard names, counted once across the rows.
Twenty bears lined up in four rows of five on the mat. Start at the top left, count across each row, and the last bear is number 20. Asked for 14 bears, count them out of the tub one at a time and stop at fourteen.
Common Mistakes with K.CC.5
Going around the circle twice
Ten chairs in a circle counted as 13 because the start chair was passed
Try this: Mark the first object in the circle with a sticker so the count stops when the sticker comes around.
Double counting a scattered pile
8 crayons scattered on the table counted as 9 or 10, one crayon touched twice
Try this: Move each counted crayon into a cup so the uncounted ones are the only ones left on the table.
Not stopping at the asked-for number
Asked for 6 bears from a tub of 20, the child keeps counting until the tub is empty
Try this: Say the target number together before starting, then count aloud and stop with a clap on six.
Where K.CC.5 Fits
Practice K.CC.5
Quick Check
- There are 3 rows of chairs with 5 chairs in each row. Count them all. How many chairs?
- Seven leaves are scattered on the table. Count them. How many leaves?
- Mrs. Diaz asks Omar to count out 9 cubes from a bucket of 20. How many cubes should he take out?