Early Childhood News

1,2,3,4…. Children love to count and it’s an important skills that underpins most mathematical concepts. Children will often count by rote (reciting them by memory in order) before they actually understand what the numbers they are saying mean. There are many ways parents can work with their child to build on their counting skills. 

• Read stories and rhymes (eg, Five Little Monkeys, Three Blind Mice, Goldilocks and the Three Bears) and sing songs that use numbers.
• Link numbers with objects to show them what ‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’ or ‘five’ means. For instance one nose, one mouth, two ears, two legs and five fingers. 
• Verbalise counting in everyday life! Count as you do up buttons, as you walk up and down steps, as you place items into the trolley, set the table, or fill up their lunchbox. 
• As you walk or drive past signs or letterboxes name and spot the numbers. 
• Listen to music – clap, count and sing the rhythm
• Build – use building blocks, measure length and height, match size and shape.
• Start counts from different numbers than just one- “7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12..”
• Count down from numbers when you are waiting for things (seconds left on the microwave, how long until the garage door opens) 

Children learn by repetition, with scientists having discovered that it takes approximately 400 repetitions to create a new synapse in the brain, unless it is done in play, in which it only takes 10 to 20 repetitions. Repeated counting you do in everyday life, like setting the table or getting dressed, helps them to understand numbers in a playful and meaningful way.