How to teach a child to count?
IMPORTANT: Having decided to start teaching your child to count, you should have great patience. You can't shout or get nervous. The entire learning process should take place in a friendly, and, most importantly, playful atmosphere.
Starting from about two or three years old, you can teach a child to count to 10 , but it is better to divide this process into two stages.
At the very beginning, learn to count to 5 , and then to 10. This should be done in a playful way , counting together with the child his toys, surrounding objects, candies or fingers.
How to teach a child to count
It is mandatory, at the very beginning of mathematics, for the child to understand what is a lot or a little. You can put several toys on one side and only one on the other. For this you can use all surrounding objects. This also applies to such concepts as higher and lower, shorter and longer.
First method: While walking, it will be very fun to count trees, steps, birds, cars. You can even learn to count while dressing for the walk itself, putting one cap on your head and two socks on your feet.
Second method: You can count bright pictures in a book together with your child. Or you can draw and decorate balls or flowers yourself, and then count how many you got.
Third method: You should show your child that such knowledge is very useful. He can help set the table by arranging the required amount of cutlery.
Fourth method: Counting rhymes help very well in teaching counting. With their help, the child can easily and naturally remember a decent score.
Methods for teaching counting created by famous teachers
Try linking one or more effective teaching methods to learning numeracy:
Peterson
Peterson's method teaches children mathematics exclusively in a playful way: with the help of cubes, drawing, and logic games.
Glen Doman
Glen Doman's method is entirely based on visualization: children see numbers and the corresponding number of points on cards, gradually mastering counting:
- Prepare cards from cardboard: write a number on one side, and on the other, draw the number of dots corresponding to this number.
- Show your child the card with a dot and clearly indicate the number “One.”
- Proceed to other cards in the same way. Don't delay - the card should take as long as it takes to pronounce a certain number.
During the first lessons, the child can act as an observer. Don't ask him to repeat it. After showing all the cards (10, 20 numbers depending on age), be sure to praise the child, tell him how much you love him and how you love to teach him. You can treat your math future to something tasty because physical rewards are an integral part of Glen Doman's methodology.
From 3-4 lessons you can start shuffling the cards, that is, showing them not in a clear numerical order. Remember the main thing - we show quickly, we praise generously.
Video: Counting - Learning to count from 1 to 10 with a song
IMPORTANT: Activities should arouse interest in the child. If the mother notices that the baby is bored, or such lessons cause him discomfort, he should postpone training for a few days.
During the learning process, you should pay attention to simple geometric shapes. Just like learning to count, the whole process should take place in a playful way and using the example of surrounding objects.
IMPORTANT: Having learned to count to ten, you can move directly to the numbers, explaining to the child, with the help of pictures and objects, exactly how many objects represent a particular number.
Teachers do not advise introducing your child to the number 0 before he learns to count to 10 well.
How to teach a child to count
IMPORTANT: The child should not forget to praise and thereby encourage him to further success.
After your child has learned to confidently count to 10, you can begin to learn to count to 20 . As in the first case, you should start with simple examples, explaining to the child that after the number 11 comes the number 12, and after 12 comes 13. And so on.
In order to teach a child to count to 100, mom and dad should have great patience . Just gradually and slowly teach the child every ten.
IMPORTANT: You cannot squeeze knowledge out of a baby just because the neighbor girl is counting almost out of diapers. Each child is individual and requires a special approach.
What not to do?
Why is mental arithmetic so important for a future student? Because only it helps a preschooler develop intellectual abilities and memory. And also one important skill that we usually call ingenuity. Mental arithmetic helps you learn not only to count, but also to think quickly. This will be useful during subsequent socialization and will help you be successful in your career. Therefore, when teaching a preschooler mental calculation, it is important not to use methods that slow down his thought processes.
For example, modern teachers do not recommend starting to learn counting on fingers. They are always at hand, they can be examined and touched, the baby does not need to remember the quantitatively changed picture. And when the fingers run out, difficulties begin. This approach only slows down the development of intellectual memory.
Learning by writing down examples or using counting sticks can lead to the same result.
The habit of counting can also be developed slowly when learning to add or subtract by one (to add 2 to 2, you must first add 1, you get 3, and then add another one, you get 4). Counting means being able to add or subtract all number groups at once.
The method of counting using a ruler is very similar to working with a calculator (added numbers are put along a centimeter ruler to the right, starting from the first term, subtracted numbers are put to the left). There is no memory training in this case, however, this exercise works to reinforce the concept of “number series”, which helps the child understand the essence of subtracting and adding numbers.
How to teach a child addition and subtraction?
Only when the child can already count to 10 can he start adding . To do this, you can use both toys and apples or other objects that interest the child.
EXAMPLE: Place one item on the table, and then add another one to it. In this case, it is necessary to explain to the child that one plus one equals two. Then you should add one more to these two objects, explaining to the child that one plus two equals three. Don’t forget to explain that two plus one also equals three.
Do not overload your child with information. You should gradually , as the baby perceives it, learn from more complex examples. The material covered should be reinforced with repetitions .
IMPORTANT: Parents must voice their every action, without this the child will not be able to understand what they want from him.
Useful tips for parents teaching children to count
- Exercise with your baby for 20-30 minutes a day, and divide the lesson into 2-3 times.
- Don't spend a lot of time repeating. Unless repetition is required for new tasks. Otherwise, it only slows down learning.
- As soon as you notice that the child has mastered the material, move on to something new.
- Apply the acquired knowledge in practice regularly: count passing cars, steps, birds.
- Allow your child to complete tasks independently. This will give him confidence in his own abilities.
Not every child finds counting easy. Sometimes a rule needs to be explained ten times before a child understands it. But don’t worry, sooner or later the score will settle down in a child’s head and your child will show excellent knowledge of mathematics at school.
Video: Mathematical counting rhyme. Poems for adding and subtracting units. Our_everything!
When the child understands the entire process of addition, you can begin subtraction. to count backwards before learning subtraction , so it will be easier for him to master new information.
IMPORTANT: An excellent example would be if you put two apples on the table and then take one away. The child must say how many apples he has now. Children are great owners and will remember such examples well.
As with teaching counting, all mini-lessons should only be taught in a positive mood and with interesting examples . The manuals will help you cope with the task at hand. These can be either books or notebooks. But their choice should be taken with great responsibility.
The game is the best way to teach a child to count
Remember the numbers
There are many methods for memorizing numbers. Today, children's stores sell special cards. Learning to count is easy in everyday life, using the opportunities of the surrounding world.
You need to count objects while buying groceries in a store or while walking on the street. For more successful memorization, you can prepare special cards with numbers and always carry them with you.
While in line at the clinic or at the market, you need to count people with your child and relate the resulting number to the one shown on the card. It will also be interesting for the baby to compare who has more buttons on his clothes: his or his mother.
You can learn to distinguish numbers with five-minute lessons. They must be planned and occur regularly. The child needs to quickly show cards that show numbers and the corresponding number of circles. At the same time, the number should be named. This activity is effective when the baby is attentive and focused.
Gradually he will begin to understand the numbers and relate them to quantity. After this, the lesson can be complicated - lay out the cards in front of the child in any order and ask him to give those that correspond to the number he heard. It is useful to draw colorful numbers on sheets of paper and hang them in prominent places throughout the apartment.
This way, memorization will be easier and more interesting. You can periodically ask your child to bring cards with a certain number. It will be easier for the child if he begins to receive the task of finding a number that corresponds to the number of beans or apples shown in the picture.
It is useful to purchase refrigerator magnets. It is easy to conduct educational activities with them, showing a lot of imagination.
You can assemble a steam locomotive from a construction set by putting into it numbers indicating the serial numbers of the cars. Special educational books and cartoons on counting are also useful. Modeling numbers from plasticine, dough, or kinetic sand will give impetus to the development and learning of arithmetic.
How to teach a child to count in his head?
IMPORTANT: Until about 4-5 years of age, there is no point in forcing a child to count in his head; the child’s brain is not yet able to cope with such a task.
In order for a child to learn to count in his head , it is necessary:
- So that he can count well
- Know the numbers
- Distinguish where there are more objects and where there are less
- Knew what an equal amount was
IMPORTANT: Even if a child has easily mastered all the basics of mathematics, you cannot expect instant results from him.
How to teach a child to count in his head
- You can ask your child to count the number of objects out loud, but as quietly as possible
- You should gradually stop using foreign objects and fingers.
- Ask your baby to move his lips only slightly
IMPORTANT: If you practice mental arithmetic every day in a fun way, then after a while the child will be able to independently solve more complex examples of addition and subtraction.
Mental arithmetic is not only an important aspect of mathematics, it has a positive effect on a child's development. Several times a day , as if between times, you should give your child easy tasks.
IMPORTANT: Do not rush your child or solve the task for him. If the child does not want to answer at this moment, you should postpone the lesson for a while.
Didactic game “Count. Counting within 10" for children 4–5 years old
Tatiana Mezentseva
Didactic game “Conte. Count within 10 “for children 4-5 years old
Annotations
In preschool age, the foundations of the knowledge a child needs in school are laid. Mathematics is a complex subject that can be challenging in school. Also, not all children have inclinations and a mathematical mindset, so when preparing for school it is important to introduce the child to the basics of counting.
Developing quantitative relationships is a complex process that causes significant difficulties for most children. Often children do not understand why they need to count, measure, and not approximately, but accurately. Without realizing the meaning of the actions they perform, preschoolers perform them mechanically, which leads to formal assimilation of knowledge.
Premature learning of counting activities inevitably leads to the fact that the idea of number and counting becomes formal. Therefore, learning to count does not begin immediately. It is preceded by preparatory work: numerous and varied exercises with a variety of objects, in which children, using appliqué and overlay techniques, compare aggregates and establish “additional” connections.”
, “less” without using numbers or counting. Taking into account all of the above, the game “Count” was created.
The game is designed for both joint and individual activities.
The games offered are designed for children aged 4 to 5 years.
Task:
Strengthening counting skills by 10.
Tasks:
1. Consolidation of reverse and ordinal counting, the ratio of number and quantity.
2. Development of attention, memory, figurative and logical thinking, the ability to analyze, compare, classify.
3. Strengthen the ability to answer questions “How much?”
, “Which number is greater?” , “Which number is lower?” , “To what extent is the number . more number? , “How much is the number .. smaller than the number?” ; strengthen the ability to combine into groups of elements for a given number, look at the total number of elements and call it a number. 4. Develop ideas about color, shape, size and properties of objects through vivid images and playful activities.
What else to read: How to tell children about space: pictures, cartoons and descriptions
Material:
The game consists of ten basic cards depicting various animals from 1 to 10 and a series of numbers from 1 to 10.
Rules of the game:
Under the card, put a number corresponding to the number of objects or animals shown in the picture.
The child, having looked at the card and listened to the teacher’s task, must place a certain number.
Complication: using understanding of the meaning of the words “How many more?”
, "Least?" , “They left” , “On the right” .
Game for children: learning to count
At first glance, learning to count is very difficult, but as you play, everything complex becomes quite simple.
IMPORTANT: You cannot insist and force your child to play.
To play you will need:
- Dice
- Small cubes or sticks, you can use shells, nuts, pebbles
- Two containers where items will be placed
The essence of the game:
- Baby and mom take turns throwing the dice
- After the throw, together they count the value rolled and take a certain number of objects into their cup.
- The winner is the one who fills his container the fastest
You can gradually make the game more difficult by adding another die and more items. If the child has already learned to count well, you can ask him to write down the resulting number on a piece of paper.
Game for learning to count
Lotto games or number counter games will help you quickly learn numbers. You can, of course, use computer educational games in teaching, but you should not resort to this method too often. There is nothing better than parents and child playing together
Addition and subtraction games
IMPORTANT: You can teach your child addition and subtraction through play. We need to start with the simplest things. If the child does not succeed, you should help and explain to him again what is required of him. The game should bring only pleasant emotions.
Dwarves on a walk
Required for the game:
- Cubes
- Box or other container for cubes
Progress of the game:
You should invite the child to imagine that the cubes are forest gnomes. In the evening they go into the box house, and in the morning they go for a walk.
- The child needs to count how many gnomes live in the house
- The baby turns away, and the adult takes one or more cubes, voicing this number to the child
- He must first tell himself how many gnomes are left, and then count them in the box
In the same way, you can add cubes, as if the gnomes had returned from a walk.
Playing together is the best way to learn addition and subtraction
Shop
To play you need:
- Toys that will be sold
- Substitute money, candy wrappers
Progress of the game:
- Each toy should have a price tag attached to it.
- Give your child the required amount of candy wrappers
- A child comes to the store to make a purchase, he should count how many candy wrappers he has, more than the indicated price on the price tag or less
- Subtract the required number of candy wrappers from the total amount and announce how many of them he has left
During the game you can change places , then the baby should:
- Name the price of each toy
- Calculate whether he was given the correct number of candy wrappers, if he needs to return the excess, or ask for more candy wrappers
- Add candy wrappers for one purchase to candy wrappers for another and tell their total amount
IMPORTANT: Parents themselves can come up with games, the main thing is that the child shows interest in them and enjoys exploring the world of numbers and numbers.
Tasks for the little ones in pictures
Activities involving pictures are very common and very popular. We offer you a small list of these and brief instructions for use:
- Special cards for mastering counting and learning mathematical symbols. You can find them in any bookstore in a large assortment. You just need to show such cards to the child, explain what is shown on them, and use them to illustrate how to perform mathematical operations.
- Pictures with images of all kinds of objects. They can not only be counted, but also painted and arranged in the correct sequence. You can purchase didactic material in a store, or you can make it yourself (we recommend the first option).
- Images that involve matching pictures and numbers. It is very simple to use: the child looks at the picture, determines the number of objects and draws a line with a pencil to the corresponding number. Collections of similar images are also available in bookstores.
- Pictures that show different objects and require you to determine the quantity (little or many), size (small or large) and height (high or low).
- Images with specific tasks, for example, go through a maze, find identical objects, find differences, etc.
Kids really love tasks with pictures, because... they are funny, cheerful and colorful. But for you, as teachers, what is more important is that they clearly show the child what is what, thanks to which he easily remembers the material, understands the meaning of his actions and can explain it to you. Be sure that your child will look forward to each new lesson with pictures.
