Counting and Numerals

[Manoxlon]

My 3Y old dd is learning to count and manages very well up to 10. But I am struggling to get her to recognise numerals. Has anyone come across any book/ activity/ method that addresses this issue? Thanks a lot..

For 3 year olds? I'd just be playing with "my first numbers book" type books with her for a year or two before even thinking about it!

Stop worrying about it, she's a baby.

I would, at the absolute max, get some foam bath numbers and letters and maybe a number jigsaw.

Just have fun doing them and call the different numbers by their names as you talk to her.

I don't think that making a connection between numbers and numerals is a very important part of numeracy until a much later stage.

It's possible to get quite advanced mathematically before numerals become necessary. This is just like literacy: you can do all sorts of story-telling and word games without being concerned about the appearance of the letter A.

At some point your child may start asking about numerals, because she wants to know which button to press on the microwave or whether the approaching bus is the one you want, or when she is playing a computer game and wants to know how many virtual coins she has to collect to "buy" something. That would be a good time to tackle it. A child's interest is usually a good indication of what she needs developmentally.

I think schools and preschools emphasise number and letter recitation and recognition from a ridiculously early age just because it is easy for them to test. They can prove that the children in their care have "made progress". But often, this actually distracts from more important skills.

I agree not to worry too much, she'll get it in the end. I spy number spotting out on walks can be fun, for us strewing has been very effective at sparking interest - fridge magnets for example. There's a website called Sparkle box where you can download pictures with numbers in depending on your child's interest ie flowers, monsters, dinosaurs. There's a line between forcing and encouraging, and I think it's possible to walk it without ignoring the fact that they don't know something that you would prefer them to.

saracen that's a really useful connection between numerals and literacy - just what I needed as the demon reading wobbles appear .

Thank you!

Fantastic feedback, thanks a lot! I do not think she is too far off. She can count objects/ pictures.. but these are great ideas!!

DS knew all his at 18 months without my ever showing him any... because he adored CBeebies Numberjacks. To him they were just cartoon characters - I only found out he knew them when he started pointing at them out and about and saying the names. I never consciously taught him any numbers at all.

If you buy a DVD of Numberjacks and pop it on when making supper etc she will learn them all in the same way kids recognise Peppa Pig.

Great idea- dd does not watch much tv at the moment, but I will try that one! Thanks

Just checked out an episode on youtube, it's brilliant. Thx again!

If she is counting the next step is to get her to relate the numbers to objects. Could she count the buttons on her cardigan or count three buttons into a pot? Tell her you will give her five pushes on the swing and count them out. Once she has mastered this it is easy to draw out three dots, counting as you go, and then say "Three" as you write down the number. There are books with objects and numbers under for you to count, then point to the number.

Then after that you can go on to adding. Try things like: I've given you two counters, how many will you have if I give you one more? Then, here are three counters. Lets add another two. How many have we got now? After this go on to doing the sum with counters then showing her the sum written down. For subtracting put counters in front of them, get them to close their eyes and guess how many you have taken away when they open their eyes again. Later go on to writing this down as a sum.

You can build their maths up slowly an a way that will seem to them like play. Just do little and often and stop as soon as the child wants to. IMO a child is never too young to be taught. There are a lot of hours in a day, so spending a few minutes here and there teaching them will be OK.

Yeah, it really is an excellent series. Alphablocks, too. I am careful with television as it can be a double-edged sword, and he is only allowed Cbeebies and selected DVDs, but chosen carefully it can be a nice chill-out for them, and even educationally supportive. The other good thing about Numberjacks is that the concepts are very, very early maths: same and different, adding and taking away, categorising - even though they are part of a story.

I don't buy the narrative that all television is a bad thing. In moderation, and well chosen, it can be great.

And don't forget Numtums :)

I agree that a few minutes a day do not hurt the learning. currently we are doing 10 mins of Maths and 10 mins of letters (using Letterland, it's awesome). On the maths, I am also using puzzles that require the child to count and match the numeral, we're definitely getting there and I am so excited. We've been consolidating the 1-5 and diving to the next 5 numbers in a couple of weeks. Will try Numtums!

Ah we love letterland too! It's the first similar program I've used that DC has asked to do on a regular basis