What is the first step in calculating the average of a set of numbers?

To calculate the average of a set of numbers, the first logical step is to add all the numbers together. This total is necessary because the average is derived from the sum of the values in the set. Without this initial addition, you would not have the total amount needed to proceed to the next step, which involves dividing that sum by the number of items in the set.

Counting the total number of items and determining the highest value are both important steps in understanding the data, but they do not directly contribute to finding the average. Therefore, starting with the addition of all the numbers lays the foundation for the calculation of the average.