Home » Misc » Preschool number learning

Preschool number learning


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

6 Easy Counting And Number Activities For Preschoolers

When it comes to fostering a love for math from an early age, number activities for preschool children are amazing tools to have in your back pocket. In this article, we’re here to share some easy, fun number activities that you and your preschooler can try at home!

Preschool Math Skills

There are many skills your child will learn in preschool, which are often broken down into five major pillars. Let’s take a look!

Numbers And Counting

Your preschooler will learn how to count using concrete objects. They’ll further their knowledge of numbers by memorizing their names, their word form and written form, and the sequential relationship between numbers.

Along with counting, your child may learn about one-to-one correspondence (you count every object once and give it its own number) and how to compare numbers by value.

Addition And Subtraction

In preschool, your child will be introduced to adding and subtracting numbers. It’s often easier for children to think of these concepts as “putting together” for addition or “taking apart” for subtraction.

Number Sense

Building on their number and counting skills, your child will learn how to make assessments about numbers.

They’ll learn to use language to compare and contrast different amounts. “More than,” “less than,” “bigger,” “smaller,” “same as” — all of these terms will be used to sort numbers into specific groups.

Geometry And Spatial Reasoning

Your preschooler will learn how to identify shapes and relate them to one another.

In the same way that they compare numbers, they’ll do the same with shapes. They will make evaluations about shapes, their sizes and characteristics, and how they are similar or different from one another.

The Language Of Math

Math is its own language, in some ways. When we read 4 + 7 = 11, we may not realize we are translating symbols into words in order to communicate that we want to add four and seven to create eleven.

This can be a difficult concept for children to understand. If you say, “There are twelve donuts in a box. Subtract two donuts. What do you get?” your preschooler will likely have no idea what you mean!

Instead, we introduce preschoolers to math language by framing mathematical concepts in terms they easily understand.

Rather than using words like “minus” or “subtract,” you could say, “There are twelve donuts in a box. I ate two donuts, so now they’re missing. How many donuts are left?”

Over time, your child will understand what they’re meant to do when having these mathematical conversations!

Number Activities For Preschool Learning

Although all five pillars are integral to your preschooler’s math skills, learning how to count, identify, compare, and combine numbers is especially important at this age. For that reason, most of our activities focus directly on number work.

Here are some of our favorite counting and number activities to help your growing mathematician learn and thrive!

1) Chalk Garden

For this activity, all you’ll need is a set of colorful chalk. On a rainy day, you can adapt this activity for indoor use by swapping chalk for markers and a large sheet of paper (or several small pieces taped together).

On the pavement or piece of paper, write out numbers 1 – 10 in bold letters. Circle each number. Make sure you leave plenty of space between the numbers, as your child will be drawing around them.

Your child will draw flower petals around each number (using the circled number as the center of the flower). The number of petals they draw will match the respective numeral.

When they’re done, they’ll have a bright, beautiful garden full of number-flowers!

This game works on your preschooler’s fine motor skills, counting skills, and visual math skills. It establishes a direct correlation between numbers and their value, which will further your child’s number knowledge.

2) Monster Maker

For this game, you will need a large sheet of paper, some colorful markers, child-safe glue, a pair of dice, and googly eyes. Your child will be using numbers to help them create their very own monster!

Begin by drawing a large, oval-shaped body as your base. Then your child will roll the dice for the following monster parts:

  • Eyes
  • Horns
  • Teeth or fangs
  • Arms
  • Legs
  • Tails
  • Anything else that they want!

You can start with any body part. In our example, we’ll roll our first round for eyes. Your child will roll the dice; let’s say they rolled a three. They would then glue three googly eyes onto their monster’s face.

They will repeat this process for each body part until their monster is complete. To name their monster, you can help them count the total number of added body parts.

So the monster might be named “Experiment #36.” Get creative!



3) Cup Stacking

For this game, you’ll need a piece of paper, a marker, and some stackable cups. If there are no disposable cups around your house, you can also use Legos or another easily stackable object.

To begin, write out a number line with marks for numbers 1 – 5. Your child will go down the line and stack cups to match the numbers on the line.

Each time they complete a cup stack, they’ll add the stack behind the corresponding number on their number line.

This activity demonstrates how numbers are represented by real objects. When we count on paper or in our head, these numbers can be tied back to tangible objects. This activity also reinforces the idea behind one-to-one correspondence.

It also shows preschoolers how a number is bigger than some numbers but smaller than others, revealing the natural sequential relationship between numbers as we count up and down.

4) Number Parking Garage

If your preschooler is a bit of a motorhead, this is a great game for them! We’ll use a piece of paper, small Post-Its, a marker, and some toy race cars.

Label the cars with individualized “racing” numbers between 1 and 10. Then, on the sheet of paper, draw a basic parking lot with 10 spaces. Label each space with numbers 1 through 10.

To make the activity more difficult as your child gets older or masters the game, consider randomizing the order of the numbers in the parking lot.

Your child will sort through the cars and try to “park” them based on their numbers. This will help with number recognition skills. You can also swap the cars for Legos — instead of labeling the Legos, you’ll stack them to match their racing numbers.

This activity is adaptable, too! Instead of a parking garage and cars, you and your child can host a “movie theater” for stuffed animals.

Simply sit 10 animals along a wall or in chairs with name tags showing their “seat number.” Your child can play usher and hand out numbered tickets to match their seat.

Either way, your preschooler will gain better number recognition with a smile on their face!

5) Painting Numbers

This activity is fun, colorful, and creative, while still working on your child’s number skills!

Pour a few different paint colors into small, disposable cups. Grab a collection of Q-tips and write out numbers 1 – 10 in large font.

Your child will use the Q-tips to trace the numbers in colorful paint. They can add decorative designs or keep it simple. Whatever they want! Encourage them to make the numbers their own (without sacrificing legibility, of course!).

This activity has the added bonus of working on their writing skills as well as their number recognition abilities.

6) Number Scavenger Hunt

This is a great activity to whip up in a flash when you want to squeeze in some fun, functional practice.

You will need cards labeled with numbers 1 – 10 and a sheet of paper with a chart of the same numbers.

For each number slot, there should be stickers that correlate with it. For example, for the number 1 box, there will be 1 sticker; for the 2 box, 2 stickers, and so on.

Start by hiding note cards with the numbers 1 – 10 written on them around the house. Keep your chart in a central part of the house; your child will use it similarly to a bingo card, placing their “found” cards in the matching chart boxes (that way they’re practicing their counting skills!).

Play until the entire chart is filled!

Number Activities For Preschool Success

We hope these games gave you some fun and easy ideas of how to work on number activities with your preschooler at home.

We also understand that constructing and playing these games takes time! Some days, there may not be enough time to park numbered toy cars or play the other games listed here.

For those busy nights, we hope you turn to our Learn & Grow app for even more number activities.

Our personalized, effective app helps your child learn the essentials of preschool math while having a blast in the meantime. With the Learn & Grow app, there’s no need to compromise time, fun, or efficacy — we’ve got your family covered!

Author

Online-courses of preschool education - Ucheba.ru

Institute of Vocational Education
Price:
9 900 rub.
Duration:
6 months
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
1 840 rubles
Duration:
24 days
Educational center "Stone City"
Price:
2 000 rubles
Duration:
6 weeks
Institute of Vocational Education
Price:
9 900 rub.
Duration:
6 months
Institute of Vocational Education
Price:
7 900 rubles
Duration:
6 months
Educational center "Stone City"
Price:
1 550 rubles
Duration:
2 weeks
Interregional Center for Additional Professional Education
Price:
4 000 rubles
Duration:
20 days
Institute of Vocational Education
Price:
12 900 rubles
Duration:
3 months
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
2 400 rubles
Duration:
48 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
1 840 rubles
Duration:
24 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
2 400 rubles
Duration:
48 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
3 000 rub.
Duration:
48 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
8 075 RUR
Duration:
24 weeks
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
2 400 rubles
Duration:
48 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
2 400 rubles
Duration:
48 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
2 400 rubles
Duration:
48 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
$1499
Duration:
24 weeks
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
3 000 rub.
Duration:
48 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
1 840 rubles
Duration:
24 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
459 r.
Duration:
24 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
1 300 rub.
Duration:
11 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
1 840 rubles
Duration:
24 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
1 840 rubles
Duration:
24 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
1 840 rubles
Duration:
24 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
$1499
Duration:
24 weeks
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
$1499
Duration:
24 weeks
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
2 400 rubles
Duration:
48 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
2 400 rubles
Duration:
48 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
1 300 rub.
Duration:
11 days
Educational and methodical portal "UchMet"
Price:
599 r.
Duration:
48 days

what education should be like in kindergarten preschool education in Russia.

Preschool education should not consist of “preparing for school”

Preschool childhood is a period in a person’s life that is incomparable to any other in terms of the intensity of its development: a child actively learns about the world, himself and other people, learns self-realization. However, this happens only if we orient the child's development towards solving problems of preschool age, without replacing them with problems of other, older ages.

The Soviet Union favorably differed from many countries in the systematic organization of education for children from one to seven years old. We got a good infrastructure, traditions of systemic state financing, social support for weak families and much more that can ensure the successful functioning of modern preschool education. Nevertheless, the USSR was characterized by an attitude towards the “preschool” as a predominantly performing function of preparing children for school.

For those who love and know how to communicate with children, but have no experience in pedagogy, the Educational Center of the Teachers' Council offers to learn the profession of an educator.

Training includes three areas:
– Psychological and pedagogical,
— legal,
- medical (first aid in emergency situations).

After completing our vocational training course (750 ac.h.), you will be able to work in a preschool.

Upon completion of training, a standard diploma is issued.

Installment plan available.

Find out more

The main task of this period of a child’s development was considered to ensure a trouble-free, ideally absolutely smooth, fit into the school environment (easy adaptation), fast and accurate fulfillment of the teacher’s requirements from the very beginning of education in elementary school and subsequent “success throughout the period of schooling.

This dominant (although never the only one and having many opponents in the person of psychologists and teachers of the Vygotsky school) view of the tasks of preschool education changed in the late 20th and early 21st centuries after the works of the Nobel laureate in economics James Heckman that received deafening popularity.

These works, in the language of finance, demonstrated what the educational community has always tried to convey to politicians and officials: the preschool period in a child's life is not just preparatory to school; he solves his important tasks in the development of the child.

Economists have shown that preschool childhood is that period in a person's life, investments in which cannot compete with any other investments in human capital, in terms of the rate of return. It has become clear to many politicians, financiers and other "stakeholders" that preschool education has an independent value; this was the beginning of the "preschool boom" in many countries of the world.

Pre-school education in countries that have never paid serious attention to this age is gradually turning from disparate services into a system, the coverage of children with this level of education is increasing, and its funding is noticeably increasing. At the same time, the need to revise its main tasks, the need to “pivot” the system of preschool education on the child, and to recognize the inherent value of preschool childhood as one of the key periods in the development of the child is increasingly felt.

Play should be the basis of preschool education

Another of the main problems of modern preschool education is the disappearance of children's play both from kindergartens and from the family.

The role-playing game disappears from a child's life. Unfortunately, this is a worldwide trend. Children have almost stopped playing - to such an extent that voices are often heard: perhaps modern children do not need this? However, practice shows that if given the opportunity (at least to provide enough time and space), children begin to play with pleasure, leaving all other activities for the sake of role-playing. But the game will not arise by itself if we do not take special care of it.

We conducted a study of the educational priorities of families with preschool children and teachers working with preschool children. Unfortunately, according to its results, the game consistently ranks last in the ranking of tasks that, from the point of view of our respondents, preschool education should solve - and this applies to both parents and teachers. This is a very dangerous trend. In addition, it turned out that the point is not only that the task of preparing children for school “pulls” time and all other resources onto themselves: parents do not consider the task of preparing for school to be the most important, it is approximately in the middle of the list of priorities. However, the game consistently ranks last on this list, parents do not understand why children need to play. It is especially bitter to realize this because it is the domestic school of psychology and pedagogy - the school of L. S. Vygotsky - discovered the importance of children's play for the development of a preschool child and thus made a significant contribution to the world of psychological and pedagogical science.

Why does play take such an important place in a child's life? The fact is that it is in the game that the child is the master of his activity. He himself comes up with and embodies his plan, he enters into communication with other children, communicates with them “out of role” and learns to negotiate from his real position, learns to accept the rules, he develops speech, imagination, thinking and many other functions that are important for this age. Nothing can replace play for children's development.

HP Vygotsky and his collaborators and followers (D. B. Elkonin, A. V. Zaporozhets, L. A. Venger) defined the role-playing game as the leading activity in preschool age. This means that only in the game does the development of the basic, most important abilities of this age take place in preschool children, the acquisition of the basic competencies necessary for further development.

While our children do not play, it reflects very badly on their development. If we want children to be developed, inquisitive, communicate well, learn about the world, be able to make their own decisions, we need to help them develop the game, create conditions for playing with peers, older and younger children so that they can share their gaming experience with each other, educate gaming communities and just enjoyed the game.

Pre-school education should be child-centered

It is very important to understand that you cannot just focus on the development of a pre-school child, without paying attention to the quality of pre-school programs and being guided only by the desire to “start as early as possible”. Early development will solve the problems of preschool age only if we use quality programs.

We see how pre-school education is booming all over the world, but one of the most serious problems is that the child is not considered the subject, the master of his education - he actually never has the opportunity to choose. There are a relatively small number of educational programs that assume that the child, together with an adult, decides what and when to do it, which partner to choose, what materials to use, and so on. Such preschool education requires completely different forms, methods and programs than those with which teachers in our country are accustomed to work.

However, there are several child-oriented programs that exist in Russia. The preschool project of the "Rybakov Fund" developed the "PROKids" and "Discoveries" programs. "PROchildren" relies on a cultural and historical approach in education, uses original methods for developing children's thinking, self-regulation, initiative and independence, social and communicative competencies, and all this in the context of a role-playing game. Many kindergartens are already operating under the Discovery program.

There is the famous Italian program Reggio Emilia, presented in our country rather as a philosophy and the presence of some educational technologies. This is a very good program, but it seems that it cannot be accurately reproduced in other places, since this educational project is quite strongly tied to the place where it originated and where it still operates on a citywide scale, creating an open educational space for children of preschool and school age.

The emergence of new information technologies is fundamentally changing approaches to education, including preschool education.

We live in an era of civilizational change, information technology has made the modern world changeable and changing extremely quickly, and therefore with a high degree of uncertainty. Even now it is difficult to be confident in the future, and in the future, the trends of uncertainty will only increase. Such a world requires a person to be able to quickly respond to changes, make independent decisions, and plan his own life.

Under these conditions, education should promote the development of independence, initiative, and responsibility in children, and this is possible only in programs focused on the child.

Learn more