Teaching about Numbers and Counting 1

Teaching about Numbers and Counting 1

Many children enter preschool with some knowledge of numbers and counting. They can count five to ten objects accurately and can also read some numbers. But many other children have not developed this knowledge. These children, in particular, need many opportunities to learn the words for numbers, to count things, and to learn to read and write numbers.

You can help children learn about numbers and counting in many ways, including these informal ways:

• Make pointing to and counting objects part of your daily routine.

- As you pass out the juice cups at snack time, point and count the cups; as you pass out pieces of paper for an art project, point to the paper and count the pieces; count the children’s boots as you help take them off; count the stairs as the children walk down them.

• As you point and count, get the children to count with you and then without you. Children need to hear and practice things a lot in order to learn them.

Teacher (◆):

◆ Let’s all count the pictures on the wall. (You and the children count 1, 2, 3, as you point to each picture.) Now let me listen to you count the pictures.

• Help the children learn to answer the “how many?” question.

◆ Let’s count the puzzles on this table. (You and the children count 1, 2, 3, 4, as you point to each puzzle.) Oh, there are four puzzles, aren’t there?

◆ Now let’s count the games on the table. (The children count 1, 2, 3, as you point to each game.) There are three games on the table.

• Children like to point to and count their fingers, their legs, and their ears. Help them do that.

Here are some other activities that you can use to help children with numbers and counting:

• Use different types of macaroni. Encourage them to sort the different types and then count them.

• Have materials on a shelf, such as rubber teddy bears and colored cotton balls.

• Give children rulers and let them measure different things around the room.

• Teach the children counting songs and rhymes. You can play counting games with many different actions, such as jumping and clapping. As children learn more number words, they can count more actions.

• As you and the children sing counting and rhyming songs you can add and take off felt board pieces that represent objects in the songs.

◆ We’re going to clap three times. (The children clap three times, counting for each clap.) How many times did you clap? (The children say, “Three times.”)

◆ We’re going to jump five times. (The children jump five times counting each jump.)

◆ I am going to clap and I want you to listen for how many claps you hear. OK, now you clap the same number I did.

 

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