Learning to count children 3 4 years old. A surprisingly easy way to teach your child to count. Counting games with younger preschoolers

Why do I call my method easy and even surprisingly easy? Yes, simply because I have not yet met a simpler and more reliable way of teaching kids to count. You yourself will soon see this if you use it to teach your child. For a child, this will be just a game, and all that is required from parents is to devote a few minutes a day to this game, and if you follow my recommendations, sooner or later your child will certainly start to count in a race with you. But is this possible if the child is only three or four years old? It turns out that it is quite possible. Anyway, I've been doing it successfully for over ten years.

I describe the entire learning process further in great detail, with a detailed description of each educational game, so that any mother can repeat it with her child. And, in addition, on the Internet on my site "Seven Steps to the Book" I posted videos of fragments of my activities with children to make these lessons even more accessible for playback.

First, a few introductory words.

The first question that some parents have is: is it worth starting teaching a child to count before school?

I believe that teaching a child is necessary when he shows interest in the subject of study, and not after this interest has faded. And interest in counting and counting is shown in children early, it needs only to be slightly nourished and imperceptibly to complicate the games day by day. If for some reason your child is indifferent to counting objects, do not tell yourself: "He has no inclination for mathematics, I also lagged behind in mathematics at school." Try to awaken this interest in him. Just include in it what you've been missing so far: counting toys, buttons on your shirt, steps when walking, etc.

Second question: what is the best way to teach a child?

You will get the answer to this question by reading here the full presentation of my methods of teaching oral counting.

In the meantime, I want to warn you against using some teaching methods that do not benefit your child.

"To add 3 to the 2nd, you first need to add 1 to the 2nd, you get 3, then add 1 more to the 3rd, you get 4, and finally, add 1 more to the 4th, the result will be 5" ; "- In order to subtract 3 from 5, you must first subtract 1, there remains 4, then subtract 1 more from 4, 3 remains, and finally, subtract 1 more from 3, as a result 2 remains."

This, unfortunately, common method develops and reinforces the habit of slow counting and does not stimulate the mental. After all, counting means adding and subtracting at once in whole numerical groups, and not adding and subtracting one by one, and even by counting fingers or sticks. Why is this method not useful for a child so widespread? I think it's because it's easier for the teacher. I hope that some teachers, having familiarized themselves with my methodology, will give it up.

Do not start teaching your child to count with sticks or fingers and make sure that he does not start using them later on the advice of an older sister or brother. It is easy to learn to count on your fingers, but difficult to wean. While the child is counting on his fingers, the memory mechanism is not involved, the results of addition and subtraction in whole numerical groups are not stored in memory.

And, finally, in no case use the "ruler" method of counting that has appeared in recent years:

"To add 3 to 2, you need to take a ruler, find the number 2 on it, count from it to the right 3 times in a centimeter and read the result 5 on the ruler";

"To subtract 3 from 5, you need to take a ruler, find the number 5 on it, count from it to the left 3 times in a centimeter and read the result 2 on the ruler."

This method of counting with the use of such a primitive "calculator" as a ruler, as if deliberately invented in order to wean the child from thinking and memorizing. Rather than teach counting, it is better not to teach at all, but to show right away how to use a calculator. After all, this method, just like a calculator, excludes memory training and slows down the mental development of the baby.

At the first stage of teaching oral counting, it is necessary to teach the child to count within ten. It is necessary to help him firmly remember the results of all variants of addition and subtraction of numbers within ten as we, adults, remember them.

In the second stage of education, preschoolers master the basic methods of addition and subtraction in the mind of two-digit numbers. The main thing now is not the automatic extraction of ready-made solutions from memory, but the understanding and memorization of the methods of addition and subtraction in the next tens.

Both at the first and at the second stage, the teaching of oral counting occurs with the use of elements of the game and competition. With the help, lined up in a certain sequence, not formal memorization is achieved, but conscious memorization using the child's visual and tactile memory, followed by fixing each step learned in memory.

Why do I teach oral counting? Because only verbal counting develops memory, intelligence of the child and what we call ingenuity. Namely, this is what he will need in his subsequent adult life. And writing "examples" with long thinking and calculating the answer on the fingers of the preschooler does nothing but harm, because weaned thinking quickly. He will solve examples later, at school, practicing the accuracy of the design. And intelligence must be developed at an early age, which is facilitated by verbal counting.

Even before starting teaching a child to add and subtract, parents should teach him how to count objects in pictures and in nature, how to count steps on stairs, steps on a walk. By the beginning of learning oral counting, the child should be able to count at least five toys, fish, birds, or ladybugs and at the same time master the concepts of "more" and "less". But all these various objects and creatures should not be used in the future for teaching addition and subtraction. Learning oral counting must begin with the addition and subtraction of the same homogeneous objects that form a certain configuration for each of their numbers. This will allow the child's visual and tactile memory to be used when memorizing the results of addition and subtraction in whole numerical groups (see video file 056). As a guide for teaching oral counting, I used a set of small counting cubes in a counting box (detailed description - below). And children will return to fish, birds, dolls, ladybirds and other objects and creatures later, when solving arithmetic problems. But by this time the addition and subtraction of any numbers in the mind will no longer be difficult for them.

For the sake of convenience, I have divided the first stage of training (counting within the first ten) into 40 lessons, and the second stage of training (counting in the next ten) into 10-15 more lessons. Don't be intimidated by the sheer number of lessons. The breakdown of the entire course of study into lessons is approximate, with prepared children I sometimes go through 2-3 lessons per lesson, and it is quite possible that your child will not need so many lessons. In addition, these lessons can be called lessons only conditionally, because the duration of each is only 10-20 minutes. They can also be combined with reading lessons. It is advisable to do it twice a week, and it is enough to devote 5-7 minutes to homework on the remaining days. The very first lesson is not needed for every child, it is designed only for children who do not yet know the number 1 and, looking at two objects, cannot say how many there are without first counting them with their finger. Their training should start practically from scratch. More prepared children can start right away from the second, and some - from the third or fourth lesson.

I teach classes simultaneously with three children, no more, in order to keep the attention of each of them and not let them get bored. When the level of preparation of children is somewhat different, you have to deal with them alternately with different tasks, all the time switching from one child to another. In the initial lessons, the presence of parents is desirable so that they understand the essence of the methodology and correctly perform simple and short daily homework with their children. But parents need to be placed so that the children forget about their presence. Parents should not interfere and taunt their children, even if they are naughty or distracted.

Oral counting classes with children in a small group can be started from about the age of three, if they already know how to count objects with a finger, at least up to five. And with their own child, parents may well be engaged in initial lessons using this technique from the age of two.

Initial lessons of the first stage. Counting training within five

For the initial lessons, you will need five cards with numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and five cubes with an edge size of about 1.5-2 cm, installed in a box. For the bricks, I use the "knowledge bricks" or "learning bricks" sold in educational game stores, 36 bricks per box. For the entire course of study, you will need three such boxes, i.e. 108 cubes. For the initial lessons, I take five cubes, the rest will be needed later. If you cannot find ready-made cubes, then it will not be difficult to make them yourself. To do this, you just need to print a drawing on thick paper, 200-250 g / m2, and then cut out cubes from it, glue them in accordance with the existing instructions, fill with any filler, for example, some kind of cereal, and glue it on the outside with tape. It is also necessary to make a box for placing these five cubes in a row. It is just as easy to glue it from a printed and cut-out pattern printed on thick paper. At the bottom of the box, five cells are drawn according to the size of the cubes, the cubes must fit in it freely.

You have already understood that at the initial stage, learning to count will be done with the help of five cubes and a box with five cells for them. In this regard, the question arises: what is the method of teaching with the help of five counting cubes and a box with five cells better than teaching with five fingers? Mainly by the fact that the teacher from time to time can cover the box with his palm or remove, due to which the cubes and empty cells located in it are very soon imprinted in the child's memory. And the child's fingers always remain with him, he can see or feel them, and memorization simply does not arise, the stimulation of the memory mechanism does not occur.

You should also not try to replace the box of cubes with counting sticks, other counting items, or cubes that are not in a row in the box. Unlike cubes arranged in a row in a box, these objects are arranged randomly, do not form a permanent configuration, and therefore are not stored in memory in the form of a remembered picture.

Lesson number 1

Before the lesson, find out how many blocks the child can determine at the same time, without counting them one by one with his finger. Usually, by the age of three, children can tell right away without counting how many cubes are in a box, if their number does not exceed two or three, and only some of them see four at once. But there are children who can only name one subject so far. In order to say that they see two objects, they must count them by pointing with their finger. The first lesson is intended for such children. The rest will join them later. To determine how many cubes the child sees at once, put different numbers of cubes in the box alternately and ask: "How many cubes are in the box? Don't count them, tell me right away. Well done! Now? And now? Right, well done!" Children can sit or stand at the table. Place the box with cubes on the table next to the child parallel to the edge of the table.

For the tasks of the first lesson, leave the children who can only determine one cube for now. Play with them one at a time.

Game "Putting numbers to cubes" with two cubes.
Put the number 1 card on the table and the number 2 card. Place the box on the table and put one cube in it. Ask your child how many cubes are in the box. After he answers "one", show him and tell the number 1 and ask to put it next to the box. Add a second cube to the box and ask to count how many cubes are in the box now. Let him count the cubes with his finger if he wants. After the child says that there are already two cubes in the box, show him and name the number 2 and ask him to remove the number 1 from the box, and put the number 2 in its place. Repeat this game several times. Very soon, the child will remember what two cubes look like, and will begin to call this number right away, without counting. At the same time, he will remember the numbers 1 and 2 and will move to the box the number corresponding to the number of cubes in it.
Game "Gnomes in the house" with two cubes.
Tell your child that you will now play the game "Gnomes in the House" with him. The box is a make-believe house, the cells in it are rooms, and the cubes are the gnomes who live in them. Place one cube on the first square to the left of the child and say: "One gnome came to the house." Then ask: "And if another one comes to him, how many gnomes will there be in the house?" If the child finds it difficult to answer, place the second cube on the table next to the house. After the child says that now there will be two gnomes in the house, let him put the second gnome next to the first on the second cell. Then ask: "And if now one gnome leaves, how many gnomes will remain in the house?" This time your question will not cause any difficulty and the child will answer: "One will remain."

Then complicate the game. Say: "Now let's make a roof for the house." Cover the box with your palm and repeat the game. Every time the child says how many gnomes there were in the house after one came, or how many of them are left in it after one left, remove the roof-palm and let the child add or remove the cube himself and make sure that his answer is correct ... This helps to connect not only the visual, but also the tactile memory of the child. You always need to remove the last cube, i.e. second from the left.

Play games 1 and 2 alternately with all the children in the group. Tell the parents in the class to play these games with their children once a day at home, unless the children ask for more.

Long gone are the days when parents began teaching counting, reading and writing shortly before entering first grade. Today, mothers raising young geniuses are trying to teach a small child to count from two years, or even earlier. Moms, what do you think - to hurry up or not, how important is it to instill counting skills in a 2-3 year old baby? And how to teach a child to count, which teaching methods are the most justified and effective? Dear parents, let's figure it out!

At what age is it worth starting to teach the child the exact sciences?

Why counting skills are important to your baby

In fact, there are a lot of reasons to start learning account, but it is worth highlighting two main ones:

When to start learning counting

In fact, numbers surround us everywhere, so you can playfully introduce your kid to the world of numbers when his age is only one year old. For this, counting rhymes have been invented, absolutely everything that is at hand will do.

By the way, mummies who are overly zealous and fixated on the education of their child would like to say: "Darling, do not worry if your baby today prefers learning numbers to play on the court." The main thing in learning is pleasure, joy from classes, therefore, we are sensitive to the desires of our child, and if today the young genius does not want to study, so be it.

The lesson should be a joy!

From a year old, young children are quite ready for an exciting introduction to the world of numbers. Therefore, going up the steps is elementary and we say: “one step, two steps ...”. We do the same with food, cars meeting on a walk, etc. Praise your smart girl more often, sincerely rejoice at his successes and remember best friend is spontaneity, and not methodical classes strictly for half an hour and exclusively at 11.00 Moscow time. Life is a game, and it is children who constantly remind us of this.

Let's explore the world of numbers by playing!

Let's uncover the key points related to teaching counting and learning numbers:

Unfortunately, young children often get sick. Their bodies are still too weak to resist harmful viruses and insidious colds. The question arises before mothers: It is worth approaching the choice of medicines with all responsibility, the drug must be completely safe for a young body.

What if your newborn baby has muscle hypotonia? Her mother Marina, who faced the same problem with her children.

What techniques are most effective

There are many well-known and effective methods of early development, and books have been written about each of them: this is the Montessori method, and the famous Doman cards, and the Zaitsev method.

Let's look at what original methods and games are applicable to a 1.5-3 year old kid who is thirsty for knowledge:

We count everything around.Here mom turns on her fantasy and starts counting together with the child ... that's it! It can be cookies for an afternoon snack, apples in a vase, cars in the yard, favorite cubes, etc. you can simultaneously write down the total number on the sheet so that the baby remembers it visually.
Computing operations involving objects in sight is best practice.
We count fingers.Such games include tricks with fingers, disappearance of one of them, etc. Usually young children react to disappearance with genuine delight and love to count their fingers.
We play with cards, books and pictures.Children love bright colorful pictures - why not take advantage of this in the learning process? Try to have the number “3” next to the image, for example, of three apples, and the number “4” about 4 sweets, etc. After you have managed to teach the numbers 1, 2 and 3, usually parents and children move on to counting to 5, and finally to 10. And pictures will help you not just list numbers, but compare the number of objects with the corresponding figure.
Bright paraphernalia will interest children!
Educational cartoons.Of course, watching cartoons should be strictly regulated, but 15-20 minutes a day of an interesting educational cartoon will help your kid learn to count faster and more fun.
Watching your favorite cartoons - we combine business with pleasure.
Game in the "store".Almost every kid after two years just loves to play in the store with dad or mom, becoming either a buyer or a seller. And this is the best game to master counting, not only up to 10, but also up to 20, if numbers are easy for a child.
Kitchen assistant.Another great option for the game is helping a child in the kitchen. The mother is required to pronounce every action and ask the baby to help. Example: “It's lunch time. Who will eat? Sasha, mom, dad and grandmother. Sasha - one, mom - two, dad - three, grandmother - four. This means we need 4 spoons. Sasha, get 4 spoons out of the box. Who likes tea with jam? Grandma is one, and Sasha is two. Sasha, please get two teaspoons. " Children are very happy to help around the house, at the same time studying the account.
And let's count and cook!
Acquaintance with zero.Usually dads and mothers forget about this moment, and then they realize that the child is not familiar with zero. Therefore, already at 2 years old, you can play, for example, with cubes in this way: put 2 cubes, count them, then hide one, count that there is one left, and finally, hiding it, say: "no cubes, zero."
We play on the account.Example: we put 20-30 candies, cubes or other identical items in a box. We throw the dice in turn, and each of the players takes out as many objects as there are points on the dice. As a result, the winner is the one with the most sweets or cubes.

Babies begin to count much earlier than many believe. Already at 18 months - that tender age when many babies still have neither speech nor developed motor skills - children are actively interested in the number of objects, develop their own strategies for counting them, and react rather nervously to specially made mistakes related to numbers by adults.

Therefore, the first games for acquaintance of a child with an account can be started as early as a year and a half.

However, it is important not to rush and not expect miracles from very young children. The ability to notice your own mistakes and establish clear patterns connecting numbers comes a little later - between 3 and 5 years Learning to count begins in infancy: evidence from 18 month olds ’visual preferencess... It is this age that is considered optimal for starting meaningful math studies.

10 easy and fun ways to teach your child to count

1. Use digital examples more often in speech

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By the age of 3-5, the baby is already developing a good vocabulary and is curious about words that are still incomprehensible. The more often numbers will sound in your speech ("It's time to wake up: it's already eight!", "We are waiting for tram number 3! And this one is number 11, it does not suit us", "You are three years old, and Misha is already four from kindergarten", “To take this bun, you need to give your aunt 12 rubles”), the more attention the child will pay to them, curious and trying to get to the bottom of it.

2. Count wherever possible

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You can count the steps. You can count down the seconds before the elevator doors open. You can use counting rhymes before starting any business: "One-two-three - Christmas tree, burn", "One-two-three-four-five - run." It is important for the baby to understand: numbers are not something abstract, but part of everyday life.

3. Play counting songs with video sequences for your baby

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This is one of the most accessible, simple and fun ways to introduce a child to numbers, their order and the simplest rules of addition and subtraction. As surprising as it sounds, children learn mathematics most effectively when they hear familiar and understandable oral speech. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation.

On YouTube, for example, there are tons of counting songs that your toddler can play on the road or hum along during the day. Here is a modern urban counting song in Russian:

And here is a wonderful English-language collection for the little ones:

In general, choose what your baby will like - and go ahead: watch, listen and sing along.

4. Link numbers to development

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The simplest example is the marks on the game height meter. “Look, on your last birthday you were 92 centimeters tall, and now you are already 100! Let's try you on in a month - I wonder if you will grow to 101 centimeters? " The preschooler is actively looking for his place, himself in the world around him. He already realizes that he is growing. And the numbers that grow with it, arouse natural interest as one of the ways to know oneself.

Sorting is one of the most important mathematical techniques. We separate even numbers from odd ones, integers from fractional ones, simple from composite ones ... Naturally, the kid is still far from such concepts, but the logic of future arithmetic operations can be taught as early as 3-4 years old.

These are cardboard pictures familiar to many, where numbers are shown next to the corresponding number of objects. For example, 1 can be depicted next to an apple, 2 - with a couple of bananas, 3 - with three cherries, and so on. The main purpose of such cards is to create a stable connection between the image of the number and its actual value.

It is good if such mnemonic elements are encountered by the baby as often as possible. For example, magnetic cards can be hung on a magnetized board in a children's easel or on a refrigerator. From time to time, without bothering the child, it is important to go over the cards with him, counting from 1 to 9 and back. This fixes in memory the sequence of counting and understanding what exactly is hidden behind abstract words like “two”, “three” or “nine” that are still incomprehensible to the baby.

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Well, to make it interesting for the kid himself to tinker with the cards, there are models "with a secret". For example, sliding ones.

Legendary teacher Maria Montessori in her book “My Method. Guidelines for the upbringing of children from 3 to 6 years old ”said that almost the best results in teaching preschoolers to count were shown by classes with money (or their dummies).

I give the children coins of one, two or four centimes, and with their help the little ones learn to count to ten. The most practical way to teach children to count is to show them the coins in use, and the most useful exercise is to change money. Such exercises are so closely related to everyday life that they arouse keen interest in all children without exception.
Maria Montessori

At the next stages, mathematical games with other subjects are connected. For example, apples: their child is invited to count and distribute equally to all the children present). Or, for example, with cups, when the baby is asked: "We are going to drink tea now, bring so many cups so that there is enough for everyone" (that is, the child has to first count the number of those present, and then bring the required amount of utensils).

Also Montessori considered it necessary to connect mathematics with sensations. It might look like this. Offer your child several brightly colored sticks of different lengths (you can simply pour them on the table) and ask them to choose the longest one by eye. When the baby makes a choice, ask if he is sure that his wand is the champion? To check, compare it sequentially with the others remaining in the shared heap. It's good if on each of the sticks its length is indicated in the form of a noticeable number: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 centimeters, and so on. So the child will learn to feel the length.

10. Use the Glen Doman technique

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American physician Glen Doman believed that the brain of a small child is much more powerful than is commonly believed: it is able to instantly analyze and perceive huge flows of information, even if it seems to adults that the baby “does not understand anything”.

Doman's technique is based on approximately the same principle as mnemonic cards: on establishing a connection between numbers and what they mean. For the start, Doman suggested that parents make cards from cardboard: a number is written on one side of them (in the case of 2-3-year-old kids - from 1 to 10), on the opposite side, a corresponding number of clearly distinguishable dots is applied.

According to Doman, you need to do math when your child is in a good mood.

Just a couple of minutes will be enough for the lesson. Show the kid a card with one dot and say clearly: "One". Then go to card “two” and so on. Do not delay: it should take no more time to show one card than to pronounce the corresponding number.

In the first lessons, the child should simply observe. Do not ask him to repeat or perform other actions. After showing all the cards, be sure to tell the baby how much you love him, how you like him, pat him on the head, hug him and, if possible, treat him with something tasty: physical encouragement is an important part of Doman's technique.

In the first couple of lessons, the cards should follow one after the other in a clear numerical order - from 1 to 10. Starting from the third or fourth, they can be shuffled like a deck. And do not forget: we show quickly, we praise generously. This will allow the child, without getting bored in the learning process and even enjoying it, to firmly master the connection between digital symbols and quantity.

What's next

With the help of the methods listed above, the kid can playfully learn to count to 10 and in reverse order, as well as perform the simplest arithmetic operations: add and subtract. It will be easy for him, because he does not operate with incomprehensible symbols, but with the meaning hidden behind him - the number of objects. For a child of 4–5 years old, this level of mathematical knowledge is quite sufficient.

The next step is to consistently learn to count to 20, then to 100, to get acquainted with more complex operations: multiplication and division. However, even at higher levels, it is important to follow the key principle: mathematics should not turn into a heavy duty. The more joy and games in the account, the easier and easier it will be for a child (and then a teenager) to communicate with numbers.

The child learns the basics of learning to count at an early preschool age. The first concepts of numbers are learned by a baby in a period of 1.5-2.5 years during the game. Often this is an unconscious process, and the baby can tolerately count to 5, simply by remembering the order of pronunciation of the numbers. After 3 years, it is time to develop the skill of quantitative counting, and here the task of the parents is not to miss the moment and to interest the child in the basics of mathematics.

Learning to count - the first steps in learning

You should not be too zealous, so as not to discourage the "student" from the desire to get acquainted with the account. It will not be possible to achieve quick results; it will take at least a week of daily classes to master even the simplest ordinal count. Gradually developing the skill in a playful way, you will not even notice how your baby learns to count on his own.

Counting games and everyday life can help you memorize the correct sequence effortlessly. Set aside 10-15 minutes a day for this mini-activity. Count how many cars, cubes, and how many rings the child has on the pyramid. A very effective way is to count the steps out loud while climbing the stairs. Thus, in a month, you can teach a child to count to 10.
It is very important that the child understands cardinal numbers. Show him two pictures, on one, for example, bunnies, on the other - bears. Both there and there there are five of them, although the bears are larger than bunnies in size, but the number does not change from this. A child should know that everything in the world can be counted, both ants and elephants, so the concept of the number “2”, “5”, etc. will come to him.
To learn counting, choose one method that is most understandable and comfortable for you and your child. The different ways of getting to know the account can confuse even the smartest toddler.

Before taking seriously the study of the first techniques of counting, you need to know at what age the child will be ready for classes and will be able to optimally perceive new information for him in such a difficult discipline.

- Up to 3 years old. Psychologists and early childhood educators argue that a two-year-old's brain is already able to memorize counting. At 2-3 years old, the baby realizes the elementary ordinal count, which implies pointing his finger at objects and reading them in order - one apple, two apples, etc.

- 3-4 years. Upon reaching the age of three, the child already consciously approaches the counting process. He can calculate how many sweets are needed for all family members, take away excess, add small groups of objects.

- 4-5 years old. At 4 years old, the baby can already perform simple counting techniques on visual materials. Closer to 5 years old, you can teach a child to count in the mind. Five-year-olds are, as a rule, not interested in counting within 10. It is high time to teach the child to count to 20. The brain of the grown-up child is already capable of comprehending abstract concepts. A preschooler can master mental arithmetic, and it is easier to get to know him now than in elementary school.

- 5-7 years old. At this age, the child is already able to begin to learn the concepts of a dozen. As soon as your future student understands where to add "tsat", then very quickly he will master further counting. Grade 1 is not far off. Before school, it is advisable to teach a child to count to 100, so that it is easier for him to assimilate mathematical material. Moreover, at the age of 7, the child will already make small purchases and, together with the account, he must be taught how to count money so that the first grader knows how much change is due to him after buying ice cream.

Exercises to quickly memorize the score

Mathematics is an integral part of our life. Therefore, one should not postpone teaching the child the numbers "for later", because the sooner he masters the examples, the easier it will be for him to count something if necessary. Exercises will come to the aid of parents, which in practice bring good results in mastering the counting by kids.

Exercise 1.

The easiest way to master the first ten digits is with your fingers. It couldn't be easier, and you don't need to prepare for such an occupation, the “material” is always at hand.

Before calling the child for breakfast, have the mother show a clenched fist, from which it will be fun, one by one, to raise her fingers up. Count aloud to five, and move on to the other hand. First, let Mom call the numbers. After a week, the mother will only raise her finger, and the child himself will name the number. A simple activity that will take less than a minute and help your child to master the decimal number.

Funny counting rhymes are also good at working with fingers.

“How many fingers do we have?

Let's count -

This is one!

We bend -

That's two!

We continue -

Three four!

Where is the fifth ?!

Here - look!

We continue to another -

Here is the sixth! Seventh! Eighth!

The penultimate one - oh-oh-oh!

Yes, the ninth - he is!

How many fingers are there in total?

Exactly ten? Oh-ho-ho! "

Exercise 2.

Learning to count the number of items. Give your child a task to find two yellow, three green, one red and blue objects in the toy basket. You can draw them in a drawing, as a hint, or to make counting toys easier. So, in addition to counting, the concepts of colors are fixed.

Another version of this exercise. Prepare mugs of different colors and quantities using colored paper or a printer. Mix the colored circles and ask the child to sort them - green separately, yellow and red separately. Let the kid show you which color circles are more, green (for example, there are 5 of them) or yellow (for example, 3). Now let him put 2 circles of different colors next to each other. What happens if you add +1 to each row? How much will it turn out? Count.

Exercise 3.

Activities in action help you to playfully memorize the sequence of counting. The ball game is a good example of play in action. The child and parent stand opposite each other, and the parent throws the ball to the child - “one”! The child returns the ball - "two"! And thus, passing the ball to each other, you need to bring the score to 10. Then, stopping at “ten”, start the countdown - “9, 8, 7, 6…” This is an easy way to teach your child to count back.

Instead of a ball, a constructor will do - we stand the tower and keep score, then disassemble and count in reverse order.

Important! If the child does not yet know the names of the numbers, the parent must pronounce them himself. Do not rush the child with the pronunciation of numbers, it is much more important that he memorizes them.

Numbers and mathematical calculations are not necessarily boring and joyless. For some reason, many, elevating mathematics to the rank of "queen of all sciences", endow it with just such characteristics.

However, the world of numbers can be very exciting - you just need to find the right approach to it. And if you still haven't found it, then with the advent of the need to teach the mathematical foundations and counting to your child, you will have to search with a vengeance.

At the very beginning of the path, a lot depends on you, so you should not let the process take its course or teach the child inconsistently. In fact, kids love to count, the main thing is to choose the teaching method that suits you and try to convey the information to the child in the simplest and most interesting, and better, playful way.

The peculiarities of children's perception are such that the child simply does not perceive and does not remember things that are not interesting to him. You can make him learn numbers as much as you like, but until he himself wants to do math, nothing will come of your studies.

One of the common mistakes parents make is rushing. Often adults are in a hurry to brag about the successes of their baby in front of acquaintances or friends, parents of other children of the same age, who, according to their assurances, already know how to count with might and main and even do it in their minds.

Chasing an ephemeral outcome to equalize the abilities of your own child with someone else's children will not only not help you in learning, but will even harm you. The best option is to start working with the baby when he is ready for it.

How to teach a child to Count to 10?

A child can learn to count to ten quite easily at the age of two or three, depending on his individual characteristics and general development.

Many mothers do math with their kids without even knowing it. For example, when you show your child various game exercises for counting, like "Magpie-crow", "Ladushki" or "Come out to walk" - as a rule, acquaintance with such nursery rhymes occurs earlier than the baby is six months old.

Of course, he does not yet learn numbers, as such, but you help him develop memory, the perception of the presence of objects and their number, contribute to the formation of imaginative thinking, work on improving the fine motor skills of hands and fingers.

After a year or one and a half years on the example of toys - the same nesting dolls or any other objects, the child can get acquainted with the concepts of "one-many".

At the same time, try to show him numbers, so it is easier to teach counting in a playful way. Various cubes, magnets on the board, colorful posters, and many other devices with which you can teach mathematics in a fun and interesting way are suitable for these purposes.

If you practice counting constantly, gradually increasing the number of familiar numbers, then by the age of three it will be quite easy for a child to count to ten without prompts or mistakes.

From this video you can learn how to teach a child to count to ten, how much time it is recommended to spend for classes, what tools can be used.

Two-digit numbers: Counting up to 100

At the age of four, the kid, with whom they regularly studied, will be able to distinguish which number is greater and which is less, and will also know concepts such as "equal" and zero.

Be prepared for the fact that the baby may not immediately understand. Do not rush - it means that for now put this information aside and repeat it after a while. It's good if you learn the count from ten to twenty so far.

There are children who quickly grasp and show more pronounced abilities for mathematics - they will be able to master counting in tens to one hundred and at four to five years. If your child is an expressed humanitarian, then this ability will come to him just a little later.

Some teachers advise, nevertheless, to first show the child the processes of subtraction and addition with those numbers with which he operates well, that is, from zero to ten or to twenty. This will significantly help in consolidating the material and in understanding the subject, as such, and only then it will be possible to move on to mastering tens and counting to a hundred.

Fast count

he will remember the numbers well - he will remember, and not just memorize, that is, he will know their forward and backward sequence, will be able to recognize the number by spelling, find the missing or missing number, compare the written number with the same number of objects, etc.;
learn the basics of counting and the composition of numbers;
will clearly distinguish between the concepts of "more-less-equal", "one-many";
will be able to count objects well and correctly, perform elementary mathematical operations with sticks, cards or other aids.

As a rule, children learn to count quickly at about five or after five years.

Mental counting

At the same time, it is worth gradually weaning the child away from using various aids when counting, like sticks, for example. Also, at the age of five or six years, a preschooler should already stop counting on his fingers, and switch to counting in his head.

This process may take a lot of time, but your task is patience and constant regular exercises to develop memory, until the child brings the operations first with the first ten digits to automatism.

Having mastered the simple mechanisms of counting in his head, he will memorize more and more much easier and faster and will soon be able to solve complicated examples.

Basic rules and nuances of training

In order for the classes to be a joy to both you and the child, it is worth following several rules and recommendations of specialists.

Patience and calmness. This state should be your motto in the learning process. Even if it seems to you that the information is basic to understand, a three-year-old child may think completely differently.
Do not force the kid, do not yell at him or judge him for mistakes - the atmosphere in the classroom should be calm and comfortable.
The world around you will be of great help in learning - just count everything around with your child: buttons on a blouse, dishes that you put on the table for dinner, purchased food, toys, cars, animals and birds on a walk, steps on the way home, etc. etc.
To conduct a lesson, it is not at all necessary to sit at the table, as in a lesson - the child's acquaintance with mathematics should be fun, exciting and interesting, otherwise he will get bored, become absent-minded and will not accept the information you want to convey.
For a small child, classes can last no more than ten minutes. You can work with preschoolers for up to half an hour, but it is important that the child does not get tired.
There is an opinion that it is necessary to devote time to classes every day, constantly repeating previously passed material. If a child goes to kindergarten or to developmental classes, then this is quite possible, but at home the parents may simply not find time for regular classes.
Repetition and regularity, of course, are important, but the child also has his own natural rhythms of learning, for example, at some point he will be enthusiastic about counting and learning numbers with pleasure, and then suddenly his interest in this topic will subside and he will switch to anything else. Then it is better to wait a little or present the information in a different form.

Be sure to take into account all these points and work with the child not because it is necessary, but be, first of all, interested and carried away by yourself - then your lessons will become a joy to the child, and from the lessons you can both receive not only knowledge, but also positive emotions.

Learning by playing

Pay attention to the existing game techniques that help you get to know the world of mathematics faster:

you can use cards with numbers or pictures on which, in addition to the number itself, various objects will be drawn in a certain amount;
visual material can also be in the form of posters or tables;
cubes and numbers on magnets also work well;
you can find educational lotto or dominoes on the topic of account;
various counting material will also be useful - Kuisiner's sticks or specialized sets with fruits, geometric shapes or other objects.

How it works? In fact, it all depends on your imagination, because you can invent educational games on your own, relying on or taking as a basis already existing methodological developments.

Visual aids help your child visualize numbers. Show him the numbers on a poster or on cards, let him think about what each number looks like or come up with a special image for it, for example, a two is very similar to a floating swan, and an eight is like two bagels, which were placed one on top of the other, etc. etc.
Buy or make your own "knowledge cubes" with cards. At first, the child can put cubes in the box, counting them and choosing the appropriate card with the desired number.
Zaitsev's tables and cubes are very useful in this regard, since they can be used to show the child the difference between large and small numbers, colored cubes are well suited for teaching column counting - laying out examples, the child will see that the units are indicated by one color, and tens - to others.

Dominoes for learning counting can be made from plasticine or quickly hardening plastic. Just blind small rectangles and make indentations in them with an arrangement like domino dots. Then make small balls of different colors.

Forms can play the role of houses, cars, ships, an airplane carpet or any other object in which balls-characters will live, play or move in different quantities:

let the child lay out the balls and count how much fits on each rectangle, after that you need to find and put next to the card with the desired number;
cover any of the rectangles with a sheet of paper and invite the child to remember how many balls were there;
you can play as in a real domino - then you need to make a lot of chips, and additional players can be toys for which you will also perform moves;
arrange all the numbers from one to ten in order and fill the rectangles with balls, then let the child turn away, and someone harmful, for example, Baba Yaga will fly in and confuse everything, and the baby will be given the task of fixing everything;
using multi-colored dice and balls, you can learn to divide them into groups by color and number of dots;
show your child how the larger number differs from the smaller one, let him find knuckles with the same number of points.

How not to miss the moment when you can start teaching mathematics, so that the count fits in the child's head, says the teacher.

We teach account quickly and easily

A little baby can be introduced to numbers by doing ordinary daily activities:

here you wash both eyes and one nose, here you wash two hands and feet;
here you put on two shoes, but put on one blouse;
then fingers can be counted - first on one pen, and then on two, accompanying the count with rhymes and nursery rhymes;
try to consider to your child the characters of a fairy tale that you read at night, for example, all the inhabitants of the house or everyone who pulled a turnip, etc.;
special educational cartoons and presentations can well acquaint the baby with numbers;
numbers can be drawn or colored, played with magnets on the board;
use nesting dolls, pyramid rings, labyrinths and other toys that may be interesting and useful for a child in teaching.

Learning to count to ten

Many techniques advise you to start learning counting with actions with objects, and not with numbers. That is, at first you operate only, for example, with toys: the child has one machine on the table, if another one comes to her, then there will be two of them, and then a third, fourth, etc.can join them.

You can practice, as already mentioned, always and everywhere, counting the birds on the branch, and the trees along the road, and the steps in the stairs.

Then the acquaintance with the numbers themselves will begin. Remember that it will be easier for the child to visualize their images, and this can be done using various visual aids.

The most traditional and simple way of learning has always been finger counting, but keep in mind that this way you completely prevent him from using the memory mechanism, and later you will have to wean the baby from using fingers and teach him to count in his head, which is quite difficult.

Another way to mechanically memorize numbers and their order is to learn to count "by a ruler". However, many teachers believe that with it you run the risk of weaning your child from remembering and thinking, because such a primitive method not only trains, but also inhibits memory and mental development.

Its essence is that to obtain, for example, the number five, you must find the number two on the ruler and count three divisions one centimeter to the right from it.

You can play a digital train with your child. To do this, line up his favorite toys or cars in a large train, adding one carriage at a time. Let the baby name himself: the bear is one or the first carriage, a bunny joins it - this is two or a second carriage, etc. Then the train must be disbanded and the numbers counted in the reverse order.

Learning to count to a hundred

First you need to solidify the numbers and count to ten well. Learn with your child a variety of simple and funny rhymes for memorizing numbers, riddles, songs and counting rhymes. Play educational games with visual aids, look for familiar numbers on the numbers of houses and vehicles.

Expand the range of familiar numbers in each session. First, you must explain to your child how to count from ten to twenty, and then show him how to count from tens to one hundred.

Of course, he will not learn and remember everything right away, but this is not scary. Move gradually, periodically recalling what has already been learned and consolidating the material, return to previous topics in the context of new, more complex tasks.

Among the exercises that may be useful at this stage, it is worth noting:

search for "neighbors" of any number, for example, the child must name or find what numbers are before and after the five;
search for missing or missing digits in a string;
ordering a confused row of numbers;
counting in both directions within every ten;
acquaintance with the clock and the principle of determining the time, various games on this topic;
acquaintance with a thermometer for measuring air and the principle of its operation - the child can record temperature readings daily and compare them, etc.

Teaching the child to memorize examples and composition of numbers

If a child learns and can enumerate numbers, this does not mean that he can count, because for this he needs to learn how to determine the composition of a number and master various simple mathematical operations, such as subtraction, addition, multiplication and division.

You can introduce your baby to subtraction and addition after he has confidently mastered the count to ten. There is a way that is considered elementary, but not very useful for further learning.

Its essence is to show the child how to add and subtract one by one, for example, to get the number five, you add one to the three, and then one more, or even add five units. Many experts advise against dwelling on this method, but believe that it is better to immediately show the child a full account.

However, it can be used in games at first. Take the classics with drawn numbers in squares. Have the child jump with a bucket or basket containing small toys, possibly plastic fruit:

jumping from cell to cell in order, the baby must count out loud for now - one plus one will be two, two plus one - it will be three, etc.;
when he calculates everything without errors from one to ten, try jumping and counting in the opposite direction, already subtracting;
you can also lay out toys, jumping over the cells and counting them, determine which number is greater and which is less, when it turns out to be zero.

To make it easier for the child to learn addition and subtraction, solve simple problems with him using visual examples:

put a different amount of sweets or cookies on two plates, let him count them and compare where there is more and where less, then offer him to make it so that it becomes equal, then take a few pieces - you need to count how many are left;
learning the composition of numbers is also better visually, and the homemade domino, which we have already talked about, can help you with this - children perceive vivid visual images much faster, therefore, if you show on two knuckles that the five consists of either two or three balls, or from one and four (they must be multi-colored), then he will immediately remember it;
be sure to show the child the most elementary mathematical rule - the sum does not change from the change of places of the terms. This can be done using the same ordinary objects, for example, putting on the table first two pears, and then two apples, and then vice versa - the baby must say that the same number four is obtained;
imagine a large number as a house in which smaller numbers live, come up with various rhymes for better memorization, invite your child to experiment and play in combinations of numbers, independently form the conditions for simple problems.

Teaching Mental Counting

When a child confidently copes with numbers and counts quickly without using fingers or counting aids, then he can already be taught mental counting.

There are two required elements in this process:

Speech.

At first, your kid can loudly comment on his actions and the mathematical operations that he performs. Then he will begin to do it in a whisper, until he comes to the counting in his head without speaking out loud.

Motor.

Often, at first, children need to perform certain actions with objects in order to count them - rearrange, move, clean. The next step is to simply point your finger at the items to be counted, and then the baby will learn how to count with just his eyes.

Didactic games are very helpful for learning mental arithmetic, and children also like to play in the store. You can buy a manual called "Cashier of numbers", operate with toy or conditional money and candy wrappers, or introduce your child to real purchases in the store.

If the child shows ability for mathematics, introduce him to multiplication and division, the concept of even and odd numbers, some formulas.

Learning to count in a column

When the baby learns to write numbers, you can slowly prepare him for a column count. To do this, you just need to show how the numbers are located and written with this method of counting.

The key principle of writing numbers in a column is their arrangement under each other with different bit depths, that is, we write units under units, tens under tens, and hundreds under hundreds. Explain to your child that this is how addition occurs - from units or from right to left.

Continuous practice is needed to develop knowledge. Don't try to get your child to memorize information. Go to the next counting operation only when the baby remembers the previous one, that is, do not start teaching him to subtract in a column until he is still good at adding in this way.

Visual examples in the form of didactic games, diagrams, number cards, multi-colored cubes will also come to your aid.

Conclusion

Math is not an easy science, but it can be fun and interesting if you open it to your children from this point of view.

Be consistent and patient, turn the learning process into an entertaining game, do not make the child too demanding - then everything will go much easier and faster, and very soon the kid will delight you with his new achievements and mathematical abilities.