What can your 3 year old count to?

[RedRobyn2021]

My DD is 3 next month and she's always getting her numbers mixed up so she will count 1,2,3,4,5 but then might say 6 OR 18 😂 I thought this might be my fault for not doing enough counting with.

We read loads and do puzzles etc but I've just not done a lot of counting with her, we sing counting songs of course but a lot of them only go up to 5

We got some orchard games for counting

What's normal?

I think you’ll get a wide range of answers. My eldest is 4 now but at 3 could count to 100+ but he loves numbers and maths.

He can’t do puzzles very well and has only just learnt to use a balance bike/scooter so I think they all have strengths in different areas.

I think counting as you do things helps, as you go up the stairs, as you put fruit into a bowl etc.

I had to teach DD1 to count to ten before starting reception... turned out to be related to her dyslexia (remembering lists of information).

Hasn't held her maths back in the long run... shes top set at Secondary school for Maths.

Mine is the same age. I’ve taught him nothing myself but he can and does count to 15 and can recognise written numbers 1-12. However, when he sees a large amount of stuff or is playing hide and seek he will rush and say 1,2,8,9,10. He goes to nursery 5 mornings a week and they seem to think he’s where he needs to be 🤷‍♀️ Our bigger issue is his pronunciation of words and the fact that three sounds exactly like tree when he says it bless him.

My 2.5 yo can count to 10, but frequently skips 5 😂😂 I don't think your child is terribly outside the range of normal.

I wouldn’t worry. My daughter is in reception and so far they’ve only covered the numbers to 5 😂 (they’ve done more than just counting with them of course but the focus very much seems to be on understanding numbers and working with them, not just counting high.)

my daughter could count to 100 at 3, but my nephew couldn’t count to 20 at 4.5 (and he isn’t struggling in reception now). Huge variation, your daughter is fine. Just model counting in every day situations and maybe put numberblocks on in the background.

Well in mumsnet land it's 3,0145,244

But in reality it was 20 but learnt like a song. No idea what 15 actually meant in terms of number of things.

It'll come. I remember stressing that my DC1 got confused with colours and trying to hot house her one week so it sunk in. Now I realise I was being a complete fool, it would be very unlikely she would enter the adult world or even school without knowing what blue was!

It varies a lot I expect, my 22 month old can count to 22

It doesn't matter if they can recite numbers to 10 or 100. Can they give you 3 objects, or 6 or 10? To do this they have to count objects with one to one correspondence and understand what numbers mean. That is the important thing not how high they can go.

I’m a nan now but used my button box to teach my children to count and then add up. They seemed quite happy with that.

My son is 23m and can count to 20.

I’m a reception teacher. Please don’t worry about this. Counting by rote doesn’t really mean anything anyway, it’s like they’re learning a song - good for memory sure. I am still looking at 1-5 with my class. We teach slower and embed composition and understanding of each number before moving on. We don’t touch in above 10 until summer term.

My 3yr old can recite numbers to 12 but only really understands what 1,2 & 3 are.

DC2 is 20 months and can count consistently to 20 (and always ends it with "Here I come, ready or not!") 😅She does associate the numbers up to 5 with counting objects, but after that it's simply by rote. She has overheard her big sis playing hide and seek since she was tiny.

I'm an early years teacher and it doesn't matter as much as people think. All the latest research on mathematics is focused on subitising and seeing patterns in number. A sense of ordinal number is important but within the context of knowing the component of a particular number. We are moving away from counting and helping children to use their knowledge to calculate instead.

My three year old can count and identify numbers to 20, and skip count in 10s to 100 and can occasionally order them correctly. But cant identify all alphabet letters (can probably identify half) and is behind I other areas. I try not to worry as reception teachers (if they are still there I'm 2025) will help her. She loves numbers but am it sure it means much to her. Now you remind me, I need to do puzzles with her.

CaptainMyCaptain · Today 18:36

It doesn't matter if they can recite numbers to 10 or 100. Can they give you 3 objects, or 6 or 10? To do this they have to count objects with one to one correspondence and understand what numbers mean. That is the important thing not how high they can go.

This
It's no good just being able to count, that's just learning a rhyme. it is important to know that 3 is 3 claps, 3 stamp, is the same as 3 circles they can see and can pass you 3 objects. Don't get caught up on achieving big numbers, really embed what the small ones actually mean.
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My 3 yo is extremely interested in and hence appears very good at maths and numbers. Ditto letters. Working about the level of my 6 yo nephew id say.

He can’t remotely dress himself, has no idea what to do on a scooter or balance bike, struggles to hold a pencil or colour in and only walked at 19 months. In the motor department he appears incredibly delayed!

They all develop differently and so much of it is driven by what they are interested in. It’ll all even out in the end I would bet!

Did you even read the responses 😂

Dc1 couldn't count to 20 until end of nursery/beginning of reception.
Dc2 could count to 20 at about 2.5 (before starting nursery)
Dc3 didn't learn to count to 20 until the end of reception.

They're all pretty good at maths.

This is so insightful, thank you. I didn't think about it this way but you're right.

I feel miles better, I was quite worried that I hadn't done enough in that area with her but I can see now I've been going about it in the wrong way

As others have said, understanding is much more important than counting to high numbers.

If concerned, just make it part of your day a.g. counting parked cars as you walk past.

If you want to encourage understanding and don't mine screen time, then mine all loved numberblocks (available on iplayey) or the Teach Your Monster games (free to set up an account online). They use the numbers 1-10 only but REALLY focus on the meaning and composition of those numbers.

Work on memory, it's the most valuable. In school, uni etc setting them up for the best. Obviously I wish genius for every child but honestly you can breeze through school with a good memory without having to fully understand the subject.
Age 2 my kid was reciting the periodic table because I played that song instead of nursery songs. She's 6 now and still has no clue what any of the elements are. 😂
I wouldn't compare this young. Just do your best and enjoy these moments.

My eldest was much the same as your child.

My youngest was doing reasonably complex additions and subtractions in her head. Her idea of a fun game was me calling out sums to her that she would answer.

The range of ability at that age is extensive.

I work in early years, some 3 year olds can count 1,2,3, some can count to 5 , some can count to 10, 20 or 100. I do know a few who can add small numbers together.

nothing is right or wrong, all children are different.