What are the Touching/Counting Patterns, and how can I use them?
TouchMath® numerals and the correct Touching/Counting Patterns are one of the most researched and basic parts of the TouchMath Program. TouchPoints™ on numerals teaches children the connection between quantities and numerals quickly and effectively. They understand the meaning of numerals immediately and can move forward with addition and subtraction as those skills are introduced.
Step-by-Step Guidance
- Navigate to your MyTouchMath Dashboard.
- Locate the Resources Tile and click the down arrow to open the menu of resources
Select Touching/Counting Patterns
- Locate the resource in the dropdown menu
- Select the resource to download
Each TouchMath numeral has a corresponding number of TouchPoints placed upon the numeral. This TouchPoint placement has been carefully researched. It is important to use the same pattern consistently.
- Each numeral from 1 through 9 has TouchPoints corresponding to the digit’s value.
- Numerals 1 through 5 have single TouchPoints that are touched and counted once.
- Numerals 6 through 9 have double TouchPoints that are touched and counted twice.
- Teach your students to count aloud as they touch the single TouchPoints once and double TouchPoints twice.
This multisensory approach engages students in auditory, visual, and tactile/kinesthetic levels. To ensure that students arrive at the right answer, they must touch the TouchPoints in the correct Touching/Counting Pattern for each numeral.
Additional Resources
- TouchPoint placement is reviewed in the Teacher's Guide for each unit
- TouchMath posters help students master the Touching/Counting patterns
- TouchNumeral activities can be downloaded for additional practice