Ask them to count up to a number with you out loud during playtime. [1] X Expert Source Sylvia RathParenting Specialist Expert Interview. 18 May 2021. Make sure to use numbers when describing situations that your child had a hand in creating. If they drew a picture of 4 baby birds, for instance, you might point that out and ask: “Are you going to draw 4 daddy birds, too?” Start with smaller numbers, usually groupings up to 4-6. Larger numbers may be confusing for young children to grasp initially.
When you’re at home, point out numbers on telephone keypads, remote controls, clocks, or thermometers. Be consistent with your use of numbers in everyday conversation. The more often you use numbers to describe things and point out numerals in your child’s environment, the quicker they will master number recognition.
Give your child coins and a piggy bank, and ask your child to put a number of coins into the piggy bank. [4] X Expert Source Sylvia RathParenting Specialist Expert Interview. 18 May 2021. These sorts of requests will encourage your child to consider their world in terms of numbers. That helps build the foundation for more complicated concepts.
Magnetic numbers can be struck to the refrigerator door at home, or to a baking sheet that can be used on the go.
Once the tray is full of numbers, help your child smooth the cornmeal back out so they can keep practicing.
If you’d like, you can even glue the yarn to the card. Once it dries, these number cards will offer an enjoyable tactile sensation for your preschooler.
Whatever items you use, make sure they are large enough that your child can’t swallow them or stick them up their nose, for example. This can be an excellent activity for multiple children to play cooperatively. If one child has mastered the concept, they can help guide their playmates who are still learning number recognition.
This is a great on-the-go tool. Keep it in your pocket or bag so you can pull it out when waiting in lines or for appointments.
You can also use a 1-12 number line for older children, and roll 2 dice instead of 1.
At the end, ask your child to count the number of matching cards. You and your child can take turn flipping over cards so you can model your thought process for your child. You could use a deck of Uno cards with the special cards removed, or a deck of playing cards without the face cards.
Don’t stop the game when someone wins! All the players should finish sorting and ordering their cards. Play this game several times in a row to allow your children to develop more efficient strategies for sorting and ordering. You could even have your child play this game by themselves—just time how long it takes them to complete the tasks the first time. Then, when they play again, you can challenge them to do it in a shorter period of time.
If your child doesn’t recognize the number symbols but knows the names of the numbers, try starting with 1 and having them count up as they move up the number line. This will help them understand that the “8” symbol corresponds with the word “eight,” for example. If you have a younger preschooler, you may want to begin with the numbers 1-5 and then work up.
For example, your child rolls a 2 and builds a 2-block tower. You roll a 4 and stack 4 blocks to create a tower. Your child rolls again and gets a “6. ” Then, they count out 6 additional blocks to add to their original tower—for a total of 8 blocks. Keep playing until both of your towers reach 10 blocks.
