number recognition

[rydercup]

I am trying to do some number recognition with my nearly 4 year old. I am trying to make it fun, printing off fun sheets from BBC.co.uk, wall charts etc but he just does not seem to be grasping it and gets upset at not being able to do it. Need some innovative ideas that might help. HELP!!!!

I hate to say this but does s/he like Thomas the Tank Engine (or Bloody Thomas the Sodding Tank Engine as MotherInferior would say!). That's how ds learned his numbers and colours. He likes it when I deliberately get the numbers wrong and he can correct me.

my dd likes doing road speed signs, Thomas the Tank engine numbers, changing channels on the tv using the controller, etc, etc (she is nearly 3)

mine like finding their ages on car number plates in this case 3 and 4. Then work up to other numbers ie. 7 for older sister, 2 is our door number etc. Works in the car as well as walking about.

This may seem like a silly question, but does he know what each number means. I mean, does he know that 2 means 2 toys, 2 apples, 2 cars etc. It's much easier for a child to start recognising numbers if they understand what a number means, rather than trying to recognise a symbol in isolation.

Do you routinely count - stairs, fingers, toys...

Do you mean actual quantity vs a number as opposed to rote counting or recognising the figure ? Think it may simply be too early for it to "click". Simple board games and counting rhymes may make it fun.

I'm always counting with my kids, from as early as i can remember.
Even in the shops i used to count apples etc. as i put them in the bag.
Count the stairs at home as we go up or down.

I remember when my first child started nursery, they said they count anything and everything!!!!!

My 3.2 year old will quite easily count to 12 on her own.

Like someone else said kids love it if you say wrong number so they have to correct you.

Does your child do colours???

I did the same, always saying what colour a certain item was.

Just keep repeating things and they'll soon be picked up.