Subitizing and counting

Subitizing and counting are two different ways of understanding numbers. Subitizing is when you can see a small group of items and know how many there are without counting them—like when you can see 3 oranges and you don't have to count them to know that there are 3. Counting is when you go over each item one by one and add them together to get a total number—like when you have 5 straws and you have to count them 1,2,3,4,5 to know that there are 5.