Learning counting for preschool

Learning Numbers in Preschool - Fantastic Fun & Learning

Learning numbers in preschool is a continual process of hands-on experiences and opportunities for real life counting. As kids are counting numbers they are learning many important skills. This collection of preschool number activities will give you a terrific springboard for helping preschoolers learn numbers.

Tips for Helping Kids Learn About Counting Numbers

Although counting may seem like a relatively simple process, there are actually a lot of steps to learning to count.

For starters children have to learn and memorize the numerical sequence for rote counting so they know the numbers to say as they count a set of objects.

They also need to understand one-to-one correspondence and be able to touch one object for each number they are saying as they count a set.

As they begin to count sets kids also need to learn that the set represents a quantity, and the last number they say when they are counting the objects in a set corresponds to that quantity. This is know as quantification.

And they must also recognize that if we add or remove an object from the set this changes the quantity, so we must count carefully and count again if we change the objects in the set.

Finally they must learn to recognize the written format of numbers and connect that concept to their rote counting and other knowledge about counting numbers.

As you can see it’s much more complicated than it seems on the surface, but we make it easier and more meaningful when we provide kids with a lot of hands-on counting opportunities throughout their learning and play.

For additional information about teaching numbers in preschool, visit these great teaching resource books.

Preschool Number Activities

Below are some tools that work well for a wide variety of number activities.

This list of DIY math manipulatives is also very helpful.

Hands-on Number Activities without Printables

There are so many hands-on ways to help kids who are learning numbers and counting.

We can practice counting throughout the day in many ways:

as we wait for something
as we prepare snacks and meals
as we gather objects
as we sing songs
as we take steps

On Fantastic Fun and Learning we’ve also shared many fun hands-on ideas for counting numbers. The options in this first section are all done without printables. If you’re looking for some free printables to help kids learning to count, I’ve added those in the next section.

In this listen and spray counting game, little learners listen for a number to be called and then spray it that many times with a spray bottle. It’s great for toddlers and preschoolers!

Wiggle to 1. Tiptoe to 2. Have fun with alliteration, and get kids up and moving with this fun counting game that emphasizes number recognition.

Tea anyone? During our tea time theme we practice counting and comparing tea packets.

Set up a caterpillar sensory bin. Then use it for a variety of caterpillar counting activities.

Continue the spring sensory fun with a counting seeds gardening sensory bin.

Use play dough and number stamps to create a counting garden.

Or head outdoors with some chalk to create your own sidewalk chalk counting garden.

Race to get the gold in this rainbow counting game.

Count Rainbow Fish’s beautiful scales in this play dough Rainbow Fish counting activity inspired by Marcus Pfister’s popular book.

Make your own pumpkin faces with this fall pumpkin counting activity.

Turn old egg cartons into a fun counting activity with these bat number matching sets.

Create and count antlers for this reindeer counting game.

Feed the reindeer in this reindeer counting pretend play activity.

Help the penguins cross the ice in this winter counting sensory bin.

Printables for Counting Numbers and Sets

On Fantastic Fun and Learning we also have a lot of free printables that give kids the opportunity to practice counting and number recognition. Some of them are nonseasonal and can be done any time of year. While others are more seasonal in nature. Many are also from our preschool lesson plans, as we prefer to include a wide range of skills and activities in each thematic unit.

With these dinosaur play dough mats, kids practice creating sets to match a specific number.

Exercise those fine motor muscles as you match the correct number of caterpillar “eggs” to leaves.

Use these rain theme counting cards to count out objects in a rainy day sensory bin.

Or have some creepy crawly fun counting worms in this spring sensory bin activity.

Grab some beach theme manipulatives and practice counting with these beach counting mats.

Count out snowballs to match the numbered snowmen in this winter counting activity.

Create your own printable book to read over and over again with this snowflake counting book.

Have fun creating your own play dough “chocolates” in this chocolate box counting activity.

Practice number recognition and sequencing 1-20 in this Valentine Scavenger Hunt.

Use this number scavenger hunt to help kids learn to read and write numbers to 20.

Use our roll and color math games to practice counting numbers and sets. There are a wide variety of options to choose throughout the year.

Printables for Teaching Different Ways to Represent Numbers

As kids become more comfortable creating sets of objects and recognizing numerals, we can extend their learning by introducing additonal ways to represent numbers.

The following printables are helpful for introducing this concept.

Insect Counting Mats

Spider Counting Mats

Gingerbread Counting Mats

Seashell Counting Mats

More Resources for Learning Numbers

Counting books are an excellent resource for learning numbers. Kids enjoy reading many of them over and over again. Here is a list of our favorite counting books for kids.

There are also more ideas for counting numbers in this collection of counting games.

The counting games and puzzles below are kid-tested and teacher approved.

What next?

As kids become proficient at counting numbers we can continue helping them develop number sense by:

working on concepts like one more and one less
comparing amounts
beginning to add and subtract

40 Counting Games And Number Activities For Preschoolers

The basic foundation of math is understanding numbers and quantities. One of the best ways to develop these understandings, or number sense, is through handling objects and counting them. We can listen to preschoolers recite numbers in order, but we want them to apply that to counting objects and understand that those numbers represent quantities of items. Counting games and activities encourage preschoolers to “play” with numbers and quantities and build math skills and number sense in natural ways. These ideas can help you build math and counting skills with preschoolers.

Counting Games and Activities

These 40 preschool math games include counting games and various number activities. They are perfect to help build counting skills and math skills in your preschoolers and kindergarten students.

1. Dog Bone Counting Game (Pre-K Pages) – This is a fun, hands-on counting game for students in your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom.

2. Farm Animal Counting Activity (Pre-K Pages) – What could be more fun than Counting Feet with farm animals?

3. Printable Counting Book (Pre-K Pages) – Identifying and naming numbers can be a difficult skill for young children in preschool and kindergarten.

4. Homemade Counting Board Game (Pre-K Pages) – This homemade game can help preschoolers develop math concepts while playing a game together.

5. Mouse Counts Game (Pre-K Pages) – Mouse Count inspired this activity that helps children practice counting to ten while also working on their fine motor skills – and it’s lots of fun too!

6. Fire Truck Counting Game (Pre-K Pages) – In this activity, children will explore fire trucks and firefighters with a counting game.

7. Penguin Counting Game (Pre-K Pages) – This Penguin Counting Game is the perfect addition to any winter theme, lots of fun for young children and great practice for counting, number sense, and one-to-one correspondence.

8. Ocean Theme Counting Activity (Pre-K Pages) – The best preschool activities allow children to be interactive and hands on while they explore new concepts. We’ve developed a fun, easy to prepare ocean theme counting activity to do just that.

9. Nursery Rhyme Number Game (Pre-K Pages) – This nursery rhyme activity relates to “Baa Baa Black Sheep” and encourage number recognition and counting, important math concepts.

10. Digital Counting Activities Using Google Slides (Teaching Mama) – This resource has digital counting activities, which is perfect for the preschool and kindergarten age.

11. Button Counting (Busy Toddler) – Grab a deck of cards for this fun button counting math activity.

12. Football Counting Game (Sunny Day Family) – With a die, football printable, and some yogurt Danimals it’s a fun counting game your preschoolers will love.

13. Snowman Hole Punch Counting (JDaniel4’s Mom) – Use your hole punch to create these snowmen and work in a fun counting activity to go along with it.

14. Ladybug Busy Bag (Preschool Inspirations) – Work on counting with your preschoolers with these adorable paper ladybugs.

15. Cookie Counting Game (Still Playing School) – Have your kids practice counting chocolate chips with these paper chocolate chip cookies.

16. Counting Snowballs (Fun-a-Day) – This easy counting cotton balls activity is a great math activity for your preschoolers.

17. Race to Fill the Cup (Mom Inspired Life) – Have fun filling a cup with these adorable erasers.

18. Count and Compare (Stir the Wonder) – Use these fun Farm Animal Rainbow Counters to inspire young children interested in animals or to go along with a farm theme!

19. Little Miss Muffet Path Game (Preschool Spot) – This fun activity is based on the nursery rhyme, Little Miss Muffet.

20. Tally Marks with Pencils (Munchkins and Moms) – Have fun practicing making tally marks with #2 pencils.

Counting Games and Number Activities For Preschoolers

More preschool math games to enjoy! These counting games and number activities will be definitely enjoyed by your preschoolers and build their math skills.

21. DIY Counting Boxes (Parenting Chaos) – Label containers with numbers and then have your preschooler fill each bucket with the labeled number of items.

22. Play Dough Numbers and Counting (Little Pinch of Perfect) – This activity is simple to set up and a great way to expose young kids to numbers and lets them visually see the difference in amounts. The activity can be adapted for different skill levels by making smaller or larger numbers.

23. Passing Car Count (Prekinders) – In this activity, we watched for red & blue cars as they passed by on the street. Children recorded the cars they saw by marking dots on their sheet with a corresponding color crayon.

24. Ways to Teach Counting (Prekinders) – Here are 15 ways to teach counting skills in Pre-K.

25. Ants on a Log Game (Teach Preschool) – DIY “ants on a log” counting game with the children then invite the children to draw their own ants on a log…

26. The Math Box (Teach Preschool) Create a simple math box and then watch as your preschoolers love filling it and practice their counting skills.

27. Counting and Addition Tray (Imagination Tree) – Set up an open-ended maths activity for kids using counting manipulatives, play dough and a dice, in a dip tray!

28. Simple Montessori Counting Activity (My Mundane and Miraculous Life) – This simple counting activity with rocks, your child can work on number recognition.

29. Things to Count With (Pre-K and K Sharing) – Repurpose what you have and count items with your preschooler!

30. How Many Blocks Long? (Brick by Brick) – This is a fun activity where your preschooler can see how many block longs they are and practice counting as they do it.

31. Make Groups of Numbers (Teach Me Mommy) – This simple counting activity is easy to setup, can be played with one or more children and it is fun too!

32. Count and Smash Activity (Stir the Wonder) – The great thing about play dough besides that it is just fun, is that it is also a great way to work on fine motor skills, work in some math skills, and get some sensory input and it can be used in many ways for hands-on learning!

33. Activities with Counting Blocks (Educators’ Spin on It) – These are 8 math and counting activities for your preschooler to enjoy.

34. Where the Wild Things Are Game (Mom Inspired Life) – While playing, children practice counting, learn one to one correspondence and even get some fine motor practice.

35. Listen and Spray Game (Fantastic Fun and Learning) – This activity is great for counting practice but also for fine motor practice.

36. Race to Lose a Tooth Game (Toddler Approved) – This fun dental theme inspired activity with marshmallows is a fun counting game for your preschoolers to enjoy.

37. Roll and Count (Buggy and Buddy) – Here’s a counting math game for kids perfect for practicing one-to-one correspondence. It’s super easy to make and lots of fun for the kids!

38. Count Forward and Back Game (Fantastic Fun and Learning)- This preschool math game would be perfect during St. Patrick’s day and March in your classroom.

39. Build a City Game (Learning 4 Kids) If your preschooler loves playing with Legos then they will love this math game.

40. Mystery Mitten Tactile Counting Game (Preschool Toolbox) – Gather some real mittens and come play a tactile mystery mitten counting game to encourage early math intuition with tactile support!

Also check out the free Winter Play Dough Counting Mats and our other thematic counting mats.

Follow my Counting Pinterest Board for more great ideas!

Teaching children to count

Along with such skills as reading and writing, the ability to count is very important. Despite this, many parents prefer to focus their efforts on teaching their child other skills. However, we do not advise you to delay this, because early learning to count will serve your child as an excellent service in the future.

In favor of this, we will give several arguments, and at the same time answer the question: why does a child need to be able to count at all?

Contents:

Why is it important to teach a child to count
Features of teaching children to count
Stages of teaching children to count according to A. M. Leushina
When to start teaching children to count. Initial Teaching Methods
How to explain to a baby the concept of the number
Counting quotes from famous people

Why it is important to teach a child to count

One can talk endlessly about the benefits of reading, but we will only point out the main reasons and benefits of teaching a child to count:

Mathematical calculations are considered one of the highest functions of the human brain. Only humans can count. Mastering counting skills has a beneficial effect on brain development.
Mastering counting skills develops mathematical thinking and thinking in general.
Learning to count instills an interest in mathematics, which means that from an early age you can prepare a child for studying in a mathematical class and participating in arithmetic Olympiads (if, of course, interest is maintained over time and does not disappear).
Mastering counting skills contributes to the development of memory, logic and attention.
The ability to count is always useful in life, because many professions, and life situations often require a person to be able to count.

This list can be continued, but the bottom line is that the development of numeracy is part of the full and harmonious development of the child's personality. It is extremely important that parents develop their child in different directions during upbringing, and counting is one of those.

But how can you start developing your baby's first counting skills? Are there any rules to follow? We will answer these questions in the next section.

Features of teaching children to count

Unfortunately, there is no consensus on teaching children the science of counting. For example, Anna Mikhailovna Leushina, a well-known teacher, doctor of pedagogical sciences and a recognized specialist in preschool education, believed that one should not rush to learn counting at all, and one should learn to count only after mastering the simplest operations on sets.

The fact is that the account is an activity that has its own specific characteristics, namely: the goal, means, methods of implementation and results, expressed in the form of a final number as an indicator of the power of the set.

The meaning of counting as an activity is to establish a one-to-one effect between the elements of a certain set and the numbers of the natural series as a standard set of numbers, where all these numbers reflect a certain class of sets.

A huge number of psychological and pedagogical studies carried out at one time by such specialists as V. V. Danilova, G. S. Kostyuk, A. M. Leushina and others showed that children begin to master the account gradually, and this process itself goes through a series stages.

Stages of teaching children to count according to AM Leushina

It is always necessary to teach children to count from practical operations with sets, their splitting into components and comparison of adjacent sets. Account activity can be divided into the account stage and the total stage. Based on this, there is a correlated account and a final account. Correlated account, i.e. the process of counting, expressed in naming a number, is much easier for children to master, and it is more difficult to master the result of counting.

Thus, AM Leushina identified six basic stages in the development of counting skills in children. The first two stages are considered preparatory. Passing them, children carry out operations with sets without using numbers. The quantity is estimated by means of the words “none”, “one”, “many”, as well as “more”, “less” and “equally”. In other words, the first two stages are pre-numeric stages, and the other four are numeric. Let's talk in more detail about each of the stages.

First stage

Typically, the first stage corresponds to the second and third years of a child's life.

The purpose of this step is to familiarize yourself with the structure of the set.

The main methods of learning are the selection of components in the set, as well as the compilation of a set of elements. At this stage, kids compare one and many.

The second stage

The second stage refers to the same age period. But the difference with the first is that kids learn to count by going through special math classes.

The purpose of the stage is to teach the child to compare element by element adjacent sets - sets that differ in the number of components by one unit.

The main methods of learning are comparison, application and overlay. Thanks to them, the child masters the skill of establishing equality from inequality by adding or eliminating one element.

The third stage

The third stage corresponds to the fifth year of life.

The goal is to familiarize the child with the formation of numbers.

At this stage, children learn to compare adjacent sets and establish equalities, as a result of which they master the result of counting, indicated by a number. It turns out that at first the baby learns to count, and then he understands its result - the number.

Fourth stage

The fourth stage is realized in the sixth year of life.

The goal is to introduce the child to the ratio of adjacent numbers of the natural series. As a result, he comes to understand the basic principle, according to which each number has its place, each next number is more than the previous one by one, and each previous one is one less than the next.

Fifth stage

The fifth stage corresponds to the seventh year of life.

The goal is to explain to the child the group count (counts in groups of 2, 3 or 5). As a result, the child begins to master the decimal system of calculus.

In most cases, at the fifth stage, preschoolers finish learning to count.

Sixth stage

The sixth stage also corresponds to the seventh year of life.

Aimed at improving children's skills in decimal calculus. The child learns how the numbers of the second ten are formed, begins to understand how any number is formed, that there are ten units in one ten, that when ten units are added to one ten, two tens are obtained, etc.

These are the main stages of teaching children to count, established by AM Letushina. If you take this information into account and build the process of teaching your child to count, guided by it, the material will be absorbed much more efficiently, and the results will please you and your child.

Now it is worth talking about when you can directly start practical actions, and what methods are most effective at each age.

When to start teaching children to count. Initial teaching methods

As it has already become clear, it is better not to hurry with learning to count, but it is still necessary to gradually prepare the baby for mastering the count. This system can be followed:

While the baby is not a year old. The child's brain is not yet ready for the full perception of information, so there is no point in teaching counting. However, you can start preparing it.
Period from 1 to 3 years. Introduce the little one to what is little and what is much. For example, one toy is in the pen, but there are many toys in the box. Use dolls, nesting dolls, cars and other toys that fit easily in a child's hand. It is not necessary to conduct classes for a long time, otherwise the child will quickly get tired. As soon as you see that interest is gone, take up another activity.
Period 3 to 4 years. Go to comparison. In the process, you can use absolutely everything that can be compared. Offer your baby objects of different sizes and in different quantities.
Period 4 to 5 years. Start counting a little. It is convenient to start with picture cards so that the child learns the relationship between the concept of the number and the number of objects. Provide as much visual information as possible - show cards with the number of objects and name their number. In addition, introduce the child to the numbers, again showing the cards. Bending and unbending your fingers, learn to count to ten. Use "Stoschet Zaytsev" in your work. Explain the numbers figuratively: the number "1" looks like a thin man, the number "2" looks like a swan, etc.
Period 5 to 6 years. At this stage, move on to solving simple problems. Strive to convey to the child information about the quantitative meaning of the number, i.e. three is three ones, four is four ones, and so on. Buy a number line from a bookstore and show which numbers are bigger, which ones are smaller, which ones are ahead, which ones are further, etc. Be sure to spend time solving problems like “How many bears?”, “Which is more: cubes or balls?” etc.

Remember that you need to teach counting only gradually and systematically. In future lessons, we will talk about the methods of teaching counting in more detail. In the meantime, our task is to understand the principle of future actions.

And summing up the introductory lesson, we want to tell you about how you can explain to a child what a number is.

How to explain the concept of number to a child

The concept of number can safely be called the basis of counting and mathematics. But it, like any concept from the field of mathematics in general, is an abstract category. For this reason, difficulties often arise when explaining to a child the essence of a number.

To make this easier, here are some good tricks:

Read nursery rhymes (some can be memorized). The counters are most effective - they can become the basis for understanding the concept of number. The counting rhymes are extremely simple: “One, two, three - look at your mother”, “One, two - we go for firewood”, etc. Even before the moment when the child notifies you that he has four cubes, he will already be able to pronounce counting rhymes, thereby studying the pronunciation of numbers and recognizing their features.
Compare pictures where there are similarities and differences in terms of the number of objects depicted in them. Ask the child what is the difference between the pictures, and also give him the task to independently draw on paper a different number of objects - houses, animals, trees, people, etc.
Use counting sticks. Ask the little one to put three sticks on the table, and then ask how many sticks are in front of him. You can spread the sticks on different sides of the table and ask how many sticks are on which side. Do as many manipulations with these sticks as possible.
Everywhere and always count: climbing stairs, eating porridge with spoons, collecting a pyramid of cubes, bending and unbending fingers on arms and legs, etc. Try to draw your child's attention to what is happening around, wherever you are and whatever you do. And always be interested in how much of this or that he sees next to him.
Even at the smallest age, one can not only name numbers, but introduce elements of mathematical operations. For example, like this: “There are five benches in the yard, you and I have already sat on three. How many benches have we not sat on yet?”, or “Look, there are only ten steps, here we have passed one. How many steps are left”, etc. Let the baby still not understand what you want from him, but he will subconsciously perceive the incoming information, which will certainly manifest itself in the future.

Understand the most important thing for yourself: learning to count should be fun for the child, and he should enjoy it. Therefore, in no case do not force the child to study the account and numbers. It is better to turn all activities into a game. It is also very important to show the growing little man why you need to be able to count and what is the use of it. However, we will talk about all this later.

In the second lesson, you will learn the most common approaches to learning to count, some exercises and the secrets of successful learning.

Lesson 1. The most common methods of teaching children to count

The ability to count makes even an adult's life much easier, because it allows you to be more efficient at work, save time, and achieve better results. As for children, oral counting skills are needed so that they can more successfully master the exact sciences when they study at school, and also competently operate with objects of the world around them.

As it has already become clear, it is necessary to think about how to teach your precious child to count long before the moment when it is time to go to the first grade. It is precisely because of the need for appropriate teaching methods and the relevance of this issue in general that not only specialists in preschool education, but also parents themselves, for many years, learning from their mistakes, came up with various ways to teach children to count.

Lesson 2. Advantages and disadvantages of the main methods of teaching children to count

In the second lesson we talked about the most common methods of teaching children to count. In the same lesson, we will analyze in more detail the methods of Nikolai Zaitsev and Glen Doman we mentioned earlier, talk more specifically about counting on fingers and mental counting, and also point out the pros and cons of all these methods.

We have already understood that the ability to count, together with the ability to read and write, belongs to the first step in home schooling. It is likely that you have already tried your hand at teaching a child to count, and most likely noticed that success can be achieved even without special didactic tools and pedagogical skills.

Lesson 3. Preparing for counting for the little ones: tips, activities, games, books

Any child can be taught to count. The only question is how to do it. Despite the fact that counting (including quick calculations) is not a serious difficulty, some children are given it almost in the blink of an eye, while others understand the information with difficulty. Not knowing how to convey seemingly elementary things to the baby, some parents resort to all sorts of tricks, while others give up altogether. In the matter of the full-fledged upbringing and development of the personality, neither one nor the other is completely suitable, and there is only one way out of the situation - to know how, when and what to do. We will talk about this.

Lesson 4. Studying numbers

Any teaching of counting and numbers should always begin with the assimilation of elementary quantitative concepts, such as "a lot", "few", "more", "less", "equally", etc. . And children easily understand them even at a toddler age. Your main parental task is simply to help them with this. The skills of quantitative comparison can be formed in the process of everyday life. So, together with the baby, you can compare the number of sweets or sandwiches, apartments on the playgrounds and steps on the stairs, pigtails and bows for girls, etc. However, it is not necessary to take on large groups of objects at once, because everything should start small.

After mastering quantitative concepts, it's time for the baby to get acquainted with the world of numbers. As you already know, this should happen in an interesting and exciting way for the child, for which the methods we discussed in the first lessons should be applied.

Lesson 5. The principles of learning to count. Counting up to 10, up to 20 and up to 100. Counting in a column

As soon as children reach the age of 2-3 years, it is time to deal with counting with them more seriously than just telling them what is "little" and "a lot" and how much will be "2 + 2". This age period is characterized by maximum cognitive activity, and cognitive abilities reach their peak. That is why the children themselves are distinguished by curiosity and the desire to learn something that they did not know how to do before. As a result, the incoming information falls on fertile ground, and then begins to be actively used by children in their interaction with surrounding objects and people.

But when teaching a child to count, one should always keep in mind that some data can be somewhat problematic to assimilate. The child may, for example, miss some numbers from the number series or completely change their order. The reason for this is the selectivity of children's memory - for the most part, it lingers in what caused an emotional response in the mind, in particular, interest. Therefore, training should be built with a foundation on several fundamental principles that you definitely need to get acquainted with.

Lesson 6. Studying the multiplication table

The numbers are studied, the basic mathematical concepts are mastered, the child freely counts up to a hundred, adds and subtracts - all this suggests that it is time to start studying the multiplication table.

The multiplication table can be given to a future student more difficult than the basics of mathematics, and as a parent interested in the development of his child, you are obliged to support him in this matter. As before, you will need a fair amount of patience and perseverance.

Lesson 7. Eliminating problems with mathematics

In this lesson we will try to consider not so much the problems with the technical side of mastering mathematical knowledge, but the problems of a more global, one might say, psychological nature.

There are several reasons for this. You will learn about them in this lesson.

Lesson 8. How to make a child fall in love with mathematics

You can endlessly do math with your child, learn the multiplication table, solve hundreds of examples, but still you can’t get him to begin to have warm feelings for this subject. For many children, mathematics is not only difficult, but also a very boring subject. As a result, numbers, examples and tasks are not interesting for children, and are given to them with great difficulty. Many parents in such cases come to the conclusion that their children have a humanitarian mindset, but not always the reason lies in the lack of abilities for technical sciences and all kinds of calculations.

As you know, attitude towards something automatically affects the desire to deal with it. Remember yourself: how often does it happen that you don’t like something, as a result of which, even if you have to interact with it (do some things, solve some tasks, communicate with specific people), you show absolutely no enthusiasm. The situation is exactly the same in the context of our topic. It is likely that the child's failures in mathematics are due to the fact that he simply does not like it. And in order to remedy the situation, you need to know the ways by which you can instill in your child a love of mathematics. Remember that, first of all, your task, as a parent-teacher, is to convey to the mind of the child that mathematics can be both interesting and useful, and in general, you can enjoy it.

Lesson 9. Basic math tricks

Having covered the most important questions and the most difficult moments in the process of teaching children to count, now we can afford to relax a little. Today we will get acquainted with ten simple mathematical tricks, which, firstly, will help your child realize that mathematics is simple and interesting, and secondly, will teach him to enjoy computing. However, it will be useful for you, as parents, to brush up on arithmetic knowledge and, perhaps, discover something new for yourself.

The following math tricks will improve your precious child's skills and speed up their mental math skills.

Firstly, the presented section of our course is devoted to teaching counting to children, mainly preschool and primary school age.
Secondly, many technical problems have already been discussed in the first lessons of this section, and we have given a lot of information on how to avoid the most common mistakes that cause technical problems.
Thirdly, the psychological aspect is important because already at a young age it is possible to trace whether the child has difficulties in mastering the material, whether he has a craving for mathematical knowledge, what he gravitates more to - to the humanities or the exact sciences.

Next, we suggest taking a break and getting a charge of additional motivation to complete the course.

Quotes from famous people about numeracy0007 quotes from famous people

about numeracy:

Everything that is known has a number, because it is impossible to understand anything, or to know without it.

Pythagoras

A purely mathematical mind will work correctly only if all definitions and beginnings are known to it in advance, otherwise it gets confused and becomes unbearable, because it works correctly only on the basis of clearly formulated beginnings.

Blaise Pascal

Mathematics contains not only truth, but also the highest beauty - cold and austere beauty, like the beauty of a sculpture.

Bertrand Russell

The Lord created whole numbers, the rest is the work of man.

Leopold Kronecker

Mathematics is the queen of sciences.

Carl Friedrich Gauss

The Book of Nature is written in the language of mathematics.

Galileo Galilei

Mathematics is proving the most obvious things in the least obvious way.

George Poya

The structure of our world is incomprehensible without knowledge of mathematics.

Roger Bacon

Anyone who cannot understand mathematics is not quite human. At best, a harmless subhuman who has learned to wear shoes, wash himself and not litter in the house.

Robert Heinlein

This life is only good for two things: learning about mathematics and learning mathematics.

Simon Poisson

And now it's time to move on to the first lesson.

Kirill

1 Teaching methods →

Lesson 1. The most common methods of teaching children to count

The ability to count makes even an adult’s life much easier, because it allows you to be more efficient at work, save time, achieve better results . As for children, oral counting skills are needed so that they can more successfully master the exact sciences when they study at school, and also competently operate with objects of the world around them.

Some methods have sunk into oblivion over time, and some people continue to use today. Let's talk about those that are used by modern parents and educators.

Contents:

The most common methods for teaching children to count
Sergei Polyakov's method for teaching children to count
Other methods of teaching children to count
A Few Helpful Tricks

The most common methods of teaching children to count

To begin with, we note that one of the most common methods at all times was and continues to be counting on the fingers. It is considered a classic, but, of course, is already outdated.

Counting sticks belong to the same category. Using special sets with such sticks, mothers and fathers begin to give their children the simplest tasks, such as, for example, put one, two or three sticks in front of them, remove four sticks, etc.

The following deserve special attention (because of their wide distribution and popularity):

Nikolai Zaitsev's method, which uses cubes of various colors, weights and sizes, as well as tables and cells corresponding to these cubes
Glenn Doman method with dot cards
Sergey Polyakov's method, which uses multi-colored cubes (it is interesting that these cubes can be glued together from colored paper and then filled with grits)

We will discuss in detail the methods of Zaitsev and Doman (as well as some others) and their advantages and disadvantages in the third lesson, and now, taking into account the simplicity and the possibility of self-preparation of didactic material, we will analyze Polyakov's method in more detail.

Sergei Polyakov's method for teaching children to count during this period, cognitive abilities are at their peak.

All you need to get started is five identical cubes and a small box divided into five compartments. You also need to write numbers from 1 to 5 on the album sheets. As you master the game, the number of cubes will increase (up to 100), as a result of which the box will need to be made larger.

So, all classes are in the form of a game. The first lesson takes place with two cubes. You put one in the box and tell the baby that this is one cube. At the same time, put a sheet with the number "1" in front of the child. Now add one more to the first cube, and replace the sheet with the number "1" with the sheet with the number "2". After that, ask your child to repeat the same sequence of actions, but be prepared that there will be many repetitions.

The next step is to make the game more difficult. Tell the baby to imagine that the box is a small house, and the cubes are its tenants - gnomes. Show that there is one dwarf at home, but the second one came to visit him. Ask the child to say how many gnomes are now in the house.

Once the second dwarf has come and gone a few times, roof the house by covering the box with cardboard or cloth. Do the same manipulations with the cubes, and let the child count how many gnomes are in the house, without looking at them. In the process, the baby needs to be encouraged in every possible way, praised and told to him that he is doing everything right. This will increase interest in the game.

The following classes are held according to the same principle, with the only difference that the number of cubes increases - first to three, then to four, and so on up to ten. After that, it is allowed to start adding and subtracting two-digit numbers.

IMPORTANT ADDITION: Make some 10-dice boxes to introduce your child to the concept of the place of a number. And the visibility of the actions performed will contribute to the fact that he will learn to count even numbers that are quite large by his standards. But keep in mind that you should not give complex examples right away - start by adding three and eight, two and nine, seven and five, etc.

In addition to the Polyakov method described above, there are several other early development methods that are just as effective, simple and popular.

Other methods of teaching children to count

The methods that you will now get acquainted with do not have author's names, but this does not detract from their merits. On the contrary, they are all interesting and original in their own way. They can be applied to children from 1.5 to 3-4 years.

Count everything

Turn on your imagination and start counting everything with your baby. Count the cookies at tea, count the flowers in a vase by the window, count the cars and entrances in the yard, people in the minibus, etc. And for better memorization of numbers, simply write down the result on a separate piece of paper.

Fingers

The category of finger games includes all sorts of tricks. For example, one finger appears and the other disappears; several fingers dance; two fingers meet, etc. In most cases, children react with great enthusiasm and joy to such finger manipulations.

Games with pictures, books, cards

Bright beautiful pictures are the passion of young children, and therefore you need to take advantage of this. If you notice that the child is enthusiastically looking at some pictures, count the number of objects depicted on them and draw the corresponding number next to it. You can start with the numbers "1", "2" and "3", and continue with the numbers from "4" to "10" and even more.

Watching cartoons

Naturally, not all cartoons that appear on the screen today are suitable here, but only educational ones. In such cartoons, the main character usually teaches young viewers the basics of counting. You should not turn on the video for 1.5 hours - 15-20 minutes of daily viewing will be enough. In addition, having an interest in cartoons, the child will study with even greater enthusiasm.

"Shop"

The game "Shop" is very popular with kids after two years. To play, you only need to agree with the child who is the seller and who is the buyer, and come up with a symbolic currency (paper money from the Monopoly or Millionaire game will do). Selling and buying some kind of game goods (toys, sweets, pencils, etc.), the baby will quickly learn to count up to 10, and if the numbers are easy, then up to 20 or more.

Mom's Helper

You can play this game in the kitchen, in the room or outside. For example, you are going to set the table for dinner. Ask the child who will eat and have them count the number of people and then prepare the appropriate number of items. Similar requests for "help" can be made while watching a movie with the whole family, cleaning house, playing in the sandbox, going shopping, etc.

Playing on the score

Here is one of the variants of such a game: put 15-20 (as many as possible) sweets, balls, cards, cubes or some other identical items in a box. Take a dice and take turns throwing it with your baby. Depending on the number of dots on the die, you need to draw the appropriate number of items. The one who collects the most objects wins the game. To increase motivation, you can pick up a symbolic prize.

Acquaintance with zero

Very often, parents make one mistake - introducing the baby to the variety of numbers, they completely forget about zero. But this is also a number and the child should know it. Based on this, you can play the following game: put two cubes in front of the baby and ask him to count them. Then remove one cube and ask to count again. Now remove the last one and see what happens. Surely the child will be confused and will not find what to answer. This is where you tell him that when there are no cubes, it turns out to be zero.

And finally, a few more interesting tricks that will help you make your child's education more effective.

A Few Helpful Tricks

You probably know very well that information is best absorbed when the maximum number of senses are involved. So learning to count will be much easier and more effective if your child learns to count not only with his eyes.

To activate the unused senses, you can resort to the following tricks:

Let the baby move the items on his own
Have your child always say the numbers out loud at each step of counting
Make numeracy cards, tablets and dice in different colors, shapes, sizes and weights (you can increase the proportions of the objects as the numbers increase)
Engage associative thinking: ask your child to compare counting items with fairy-tale characters, cartoon characters, favorite movie characters, etc.
Connect the child's taste and smell to the process: lay out the numbers with vegetables and fruits, count the flowers and enjoy their aroma, count the cookies and sweets and eat them, etc.

Know that teaching a child to count is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. The main thing here is not to rush, to remain calm and patient, to take into account the individual characteristics of the baby, not to be afraid of failures and to believe in haste.