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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

What age do they learn to count?

23 replies

mymatemax · 14/03/2007 21:53

Rather than just reciting a list of numbers, so when was your dc able to count simple things for example 3 sausages on a plate, 4 cars in a row etc??

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fransmom · 14/03/2007 21:55

dd just learning this now -she is 2 next month but then i count things with her all the time - as in 1,2 buckle my shoe and two babies not 2 baby. don't worry too much, it will come good in time.

casmumof3 · 14/03/2007 21:56

The earlier you start the earlier they learn.

We have a child at nursery who could count up to five objects at 20 mths

IdrisTheDragon · 14/03/2007 21:58

DS is 3.3 and has been able to count for a while, but I have no idea how long .

DD is nealry 18 months and definitely can't count .

fransmom · 14/03/2007 22:01

it depends a lot on the individual child and if they are interested in learning their numbers. maybe you could think of ways of using their toys to make it more applicable to them?

somersetmum · 14/03/2007 22:05

dd is just 4 and is just learning to add.
Funny though, if I say "what's two plus two?" she'll frown and guess at random, but if I say "If you had two sweets and I gave you two more, how many would you have?" she gets it right every time!

twentypence · 14/03/2007 22:06

By 2, counting on from 1 and pointing with a finger.

By sight (ie just looking and knowing there is 4) by 3

Knowing how many you would have if you took one away, or added one - by four.

fransmom · 14/03/2007 22:06

bless!

FrayedKnot · 14/03/2007 22:07

DS is 2.11 and has just recently clicked with identifying numbers consistently.

He has been able to count properly (by which I mean he really understands what he's doing, rather than pointing at objects and racing through a recitation of the numbers at teh same time, which may or may not co-incide), for about 2 months.

No idea if that's early, late or average.

twentypence · 14/03/2007 22:08

Somersetmum - I asked ds the sweets question, got the right answer and then placed the sweets on a piece of paper and added the + and = signs. Then I wrote out with numbers underneath.

Now he asks for 3+3 sandwiches!

somersetmum · 14/03/2007 22:08

Bruton

hunkermunker · 14/03/2007 22:10

2.11yo DS1's been counting (and known all the capital letters) for months (pre-two) and is starting to learn food-related sums (if you have eg three pieces of cheese and eat one, how many will be left - gets it every time )

He's a letters and numbers child though - not interested in eg drawing or playdough At All.

Hulababy · 14/03/2007 22:10

DD was under 3 when she started counting, rather than reciting numbers. Not sure what age exactly now though.

somersetmum · 14/03/2007 22:11

Good idea twentypiece, but she is obsessed with letters at the moment, so finding it difficult not to confuse her

somersetmum · 14/03/2007 22:12

Oops, twentypence, sorry.

Miaou · 14/03/2007 22:13

Ds says "one, two, five" (thanks, dd2 ) but has no idea what it means yet. He is 19months.

Dd1 recognised about 20 letters before she was 2 but I can't remember when she learnt to count.

Original poster

mymatemax · 14/03/2007 22:14

Thanks all, that gives me some idea, I just couldn't remember when ds was able to count objects.. DS2 is 4 & has some sn's & was just trying to gauge his level even though I know they are all different & shouldn't compare
thanks again

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Original poster

mymatemax · 14/03/2007 22:17

oops, I mean i couldn't remember when ds1 was able to count objects

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hunkermunker · 14/03/2007 22:18

To clarify, DS1 counted objects at the same time he learnt numbers. I was surprised he did it at the same time, as I thought the sing-songy recitation would come first, but he definitely knew what numbers referred to before he was two. Odd little lad

StinkyPete · 14/03/2007 22:21

not quite answering the question, but ds is just 4 and i've notice he can now look at a small group and say how many without actually counting 1,2,3 iyswim e.g. he might look at the floor and say there's three cars without having had time to actually count them, just recognises the formation of them.
i always found it hard to tell whether he was just saying numbers like you say a poem or whether he was actually counting tbh.

twentypence · 14/03/2007 22:22

I've done musical counting games with SN children who have just started school with great success.

Singing the numbers up the scale with 1 being the lowest and 8 being the highest works well, jumping into hoops whilst singing the numbers, placing cards out in the right order whilst singing them, putting 8 $1 coins into a money box that sort of thing.

Original poster

mymatemax · 14/03/2007 22:22

Not odd hunkermunker just very bright, Sounds like you've got an accountant in the making there...

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Original poster

mymatemax · 14/03/2007 22:27

Thanks twentypence, I'll give some of those a try. He can manage 1,2 OK if counting fingers or holding 2 objects, but any more than that he seems to speak the number quicker than he carries out the action IYKWIM, so he might be moving the 3rd object but he's actually recited up to/saying number seven so I'm not convinced he's grasped the concept?

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hunkermunker · 14/03/2007 22:28

I think you might not be far off the truth there... Hey ho, he'll be happy

We had our house surveyed on Saturday and he was beside himself with glee that "the man in the garden was doing letters and numbers!" on his clipboard

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