Talk About It: The Number 2

The big idea: Two means one and one more.

Last week we met the number 1. This week we add one more and get 2. Your body is full of twos (eyes, ears, hands, feet), so it's the perfect number to find everywhere.

Questions to ask

• "Can you show me two fingers?"

• "What do you have two of on your body?"

• "Here's one apple. What if I add one more? How many now?"

• "Can you find two of something in this room?"

• "Do you have two shoes on? Let's count them."

Show it in one minute

Put one apple (or block) on the table and count it: "One." Add another: "One, two. Now there are two!" Take one away and ask how many are left. Then trace a big 2 in the air: "Around like a hook, then a line across the floor."

Keep it going

Look for pairs all day: two socks, two shoes, two mittens, two eyes on the dog. Say "a pair means two" whenever you spot one.

Want to learn more?

• Help Your Child Develop Early Math Skills, from Zero to Three

• Math Talk with Infants and Toddlers, from NAEYC

• Helping Your Child See and Show Mathematical Ideas, from NAEYC

Shop these items

Find the books and supplies from this week in one place. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

• Today's book: How Do Apples Grow? by Jill McDonald

• From our set: Wooden number puzzle

• Shop everything for Week 2: Apples

• Starter supplies: the basics we use most weeks

• See every week in our Amazon storefront

More for this week: see all our Apple activities, Letter B activities and Number 2 activities.