Counting in preschool

Understanding Numbers and Counting Skills in Preschoolers

Latest News November 28, 2012 New Guide to Social and Emotional Learning Programs November 17, 2011 Implementing RTI in Early Childhood Settings November 17, 2011 Early Learning Observation and Rating Scale (ELORS)

Understanding Numbers and Counting Skills in Preschoolers By Kristin Stanberry You’re probably in the habit of measuring your preschooler’s growth by checking his or her height and weight. But how can you measure your child’s development in other areas, such as numbers and counting — early math skills? Think about all the ways that numbers and counting are part of your child’s life! From soapy toes in the bathtub to “get ready-set-go!” in the yard, you are well positioned to observe and gather information about the early math skills your 3- to 4-year-old child is developing. The questions and tips that follow will help you understand what math awareness and skills your child should have — and how you can support his development. Is your child developing age-appropriate numbers and counting skills? It’s helpful to know what numbers and counting skills your child should be developing by age 3 or 4. Review the following list of milestones and note how your child is doing in each area. My child: Is aware of — and curious about — how numbers and counting apply to his life and the world around him. Can correctly count at least five objects. Can point to places on a number line and count with 1-to-1 correspondence along the line (from left to right, right to left) Understands that the written numeral “3” means three objects — and the same with numerals 1-5. Can add and subtract small numbers of familiar objects. For example: “I have three cookies. You have two. How many do we have all together?” Can put written numbers (numerals) from 1 to 5 in the correct order, small to large. Can count from one to ten in the correct order. Understands concepts of quantity (for example, “more” and “less”) and size (such as, “bigger” and “smaller”) and uses those terms correctly. Encouraging numbers and counting skills at home Now that you are aware of some of the basic math skills and concepts your preschooler should have, you can reinforce and build upon these skills. There are many ways you and your child can play with numbers and counting throughout the day. Here are some ideas to get you started: Show your child how numbers and counting apply to everyday life. Use number words, point out numbers, and involve your child in counting activities as you go through your day. For example: Have your child help you measure ingredients for a recipe by measuring and counting the number of cups or spoonfuls. Talk about how things or amounts are more, less, bigger and smaller, and be sure to praise his efforts and his progress in math awareness. Collect a variety of materials your child can use for hands-on counting. Old keys, plastic bottle caps, and buttons all work well. Collect them in a bag or jar and pick a time to count and re-count them again and again. (For added fun, offer guesses at the total number of items and see who comes the closest.) Use items from around the house to experiment with addition, subtraction and “more” and “less” activities. Read, tell stories, sing songs, and recite poems that include numbers and counting. Try to include books in which characters come and go as the story progresses. Play simple board games that call on players to count spaces on the board, objects used in the game, and to recognize printed numerals or their representation (such as “dots on dice”). Note: If your child has a regular babysitter or daycare provider, be sure to pass these tips along to the caregiver. Promoting number and counting skills at preschool The preschool classroom is filled with opportunities to learn and practice number and counting skills. Be sure to talk to your child’s teacher about structured teaching activities to develop skills in this area. To keep track of your child’s progress in early math skills, you’ll want to: Ask your child’s teacher what early math lessons, games, and activities your child is exposed to and where your child is succeeding or struggling. Find out what early math skills your child will need to master in ensure a smooth start of the kindergarten year Look at the work and projects your child brings home from school. Look for numbers and counting themes and elements and discuss them together. Encourage your child to talk about school and whether she finds numbers and counting interesting (or difficult). Cause for concern? Where to turn for advice and assistance Rest assured that “normal” development of beginning math skills doesn’t progress in exactly the same way for all preschoolers. However, you may want to seek help if your child: Has difficulty with simple counting. Doesn’t understand the one-to-one correspondence between number symbols and items/objects. Doesn’t seem to understand or notice variations in size, patterns, or shapes. Doesn’t see how math concepts exist in everyday life, even when examples are pointed out to him or her. Dislikes and avoids activities and games that involve numbers and counting. Discuss your concerns with your child’s preschool teacher and pediatrician. If you’re concerned that your child may have a learning disability or delay, you should contact your public school system and request (in writing) that a diagnostic screening (at no cost to you) be conducted (available under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Kristin Stanberry is a writer and editor specializing in parenting, education, and consumer health/wellness issues. Her areas of expertise include learning disabilities and AD/HD, topics which she wrote about extensively for Schwab Learning and GreatSchools.

Find More Resources on this Topic Suggested Tip! Read Books New Ways Does it feel like you’ve read the same story 100 times? Read it a new way: Ask the child questions about what they think will happen next and encourage them to tell you what they see in the illustrations. Learn more >

Counting in Preschool Number Sense Guide

January 5, 2017 by Sarah Punkoney, MAT

Teaching number sense in preschool takes careful planning, and this is your ultimate guide to becoming a successful parent-teacher in teaching number sense to your preschooler. As part II of a five post series, this post will teach you everything you need to know about teaching counting in preschool. (And surprisingly, there is a lot to know!)

This is just the third post in a five-post series giving you all the information and background you need to comfortably teach counting skills to your preschooler.

Because it is more than just…well…many preschool teachers can’t identify a definition for quantification, or at least how it applies in the preschool setting.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TEACHING NUMBER SENSE IN PRESCHOOL

If you’ve missed the other posts, be sure to read them below!

INTRODUCTION

And if you want to stay updated on future posts, be sure to subscribe!

What is Preschool Counting?

By definition, counting means to take an account of a group of items to come up with a total. Preschoolers love to count. They relish in participating in counting games, songs, and rhymes, but to truly be capable counters, children must be able to do much more than simply recite 1, 2, 3, and so on.

The Five Stages of Teaching Counting

In fact, according to my favorite book Teaching Mathematics in Early Childhood by Sally Moomaw, there are five principles of counting that children must master.

stable order

• Stable order is rote counting in the correct order using number names. It is basic 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. When a child is deloping stable order counting skills he may skip numbers, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6… or may use the same number more than once, 1, 2, 3, 2…

one-to-one correspondence

• One-to-one correspondence is the understanding that each item is counted only once and one at a time. For example, when counting a set of counting bears, the child does not count any one bear twice and does not count any bear with another, assigning the same number.

cardinally

• Cardinally is the understanding that counting is quantitative and the last number named is the total of the group. For example, when a child is counting a group of five butterflies, she counts 1, 2…5 with the understanding that the number of butterflies counted is five, not any of the previous numbers counted.

order irrelevant

• The order of counting does not affect the total. For example, when counting a  line of buttons, the buttons can be counted forward, backward, or in any order and the total amount will remain the same.

abstraction

• Eventually, children come to understand that both objects and ideas can be counted. One example of this is actually in phonological awareness lessons where children are asked to listen for and count words in sentences.

Counting is Really Important, and Here’s Why

Research continues to stress the importance of building strong mathematical foundations in preschool because the skills a preschooler brings with them into kindergarten has a strong influence on their trajectory through elementary school. Children who tend to have the highest math scores at the end of first grade are the same children who come into kindergarten knowing how to recite and count to 20. Unfortunately, some studies state that as few as 10% of children entering kindergarten have proficient counting skills. The same study established that the reason for this might be because

The same study established that the reason for this might be because parents often think it the teacher’s responsibility to teach counting, while the teachers pass the responsibility to the parents. Despite who is actually responsible, there is no doubt that without adequate counting skills

Despite who is actually responsible, there is no doubt that without adequate counting skills children have little chance of being successful in mathematics.

Preschool Counting Activities

These are some of the most popular activities or teaching children to count.

O-Shaped Cereal One-to-One Correspondence Counting Activity

Preschool Counting Printables

These counting printables are super for circle time or math centers!

Five Counting Games for Preschoolers

WANT to Learn More about Teaching Number Sense in Preschool?

Be sure to subscribe!

Remember, this is just the first installment of a five post series. Over the next few months, I’ll be writing in detail about each of the following components within teaching number sense to preschoolers.

If you subscribe, you won’t have to worry about missing this important information!

Sarah Punkoney, MAT

I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.

stayathomeeducator.com/

Teaching preschoolers to count by means of project activities

%PDF-1.7 % 10 obj > /Metadata 4 0R /ViewerPreferences 5 0 R >> endobj 6 0 obj /Title >> endobj 20 obj > endobj 3 0 obj > endobj 40 obj > stream

Creation of new pre-school educational institutions

Proposals for participation in the creation of new kindergartens.

1. Equity participation in the construction of a kindergarten with the creation of a non-state preschool educational institution.

Construction is carried out on a land plot provided for permanent (perpetual) use by a municipal institution.

Financing of construction - equity, on the basis of an investment agreement concluded between the mayor's office and the investor based on the results of the competition. At the same time, budget financing of construction is planned in the amount of 10 to 30 places.

The building of the kindergarten is the joint property of the mayor's office and the investor.

Private owners create a non-state preschool educational institution. Each co-owner of the building of the kindergarten receives a quota for places in the kindergarten in proportion to the funds invested in the construction.

2. Construction of a kindergarten at the expense of the investor with the creation of a non-state preschool educational institution.

Construction is carried out on a land plot provided for permanent (perpetual) use by a municipal institution.

Financing of the construction is carried out by the investor at the expense of his own or borrowed funds under an investment agreement concluded based on the results of a tender.

The kindergarten building is the property of the investor and is operated at his own expense. The owner creates a non-state preschool educational institution, provides for the maintenance of children, conducts educational and educational processes.

3. Construction of a kindergarten at the expense of the investor, with a return from the city budget within three years of the funds spent.

Construction is carried out on a land plot provided for permanent (unlimited) use by a municipal institution.

The construction is carried out by the contractor at the expense of its own or borrowed funds under the contract concluded as a result of the tender.

The kindergarten building is a municipal property.

Municipal preschool educational institution is being created by the Mayor's Office.

Construction costs are reimbursed to the contractor from the city budget within three years after the facility is put into operation.

4. Construction of a municipal kindergarten at the expense of investors who receive quotas for kindergarten places in proportion to the funds invested in construction.

Construction is carried out on a land plot provided for permanent (perpetual) use by a municipal institution.

Learn more

• 
  Tongue twister words
• 
  How to read with fluency
• 
  Kids reading skills
• 
  Flour and water crafts
• 
  What are some adjectives words
• 
  Kids having fun learning
• 
  Goldilocks and the 3 little bears
• 
  Fun games for spelling
• 
  What is pretend play
• 
  Why are some kids shy
• 
  Timed math test first grade