Early Childhood News

(Pre-Kindy to Year 2)

One of the first mathematical skills we learn is counting! At St Helena’s our teachers know the importance of understanding how to count by listing numbers, as well as trusting our count, and how to count lots of different things! 

Some of the different ways we learn to count at school include: 

Rote Counting is memorising the sequence of numbers. This can be done through songs, rhymes, and repetitive chanting. Singing counting songs and reciting number rhymes can be lots of fun!

Counting objects is the understanding that each object has a name associated with the number of items present. An easy way to practise counting is by building it  into daily activities. Count steps as you walk, pieces of fruit during snack time, or toys during play. This helps children understand that numbers represent quantities. 

Cardinality is the understanding that the last number counted represents the total number of objects. After counting a set of items, ask your child how many there are in total to reinforce this concept. Eventually they will understand that they can trust their count and they don’t need to start from one every time they recount a collection. 

Subitising is the recognise the number of objects in a small group without counting each one individually. This skill can be practiced with dice, dot cards, or small groups of objects. With practise, Children will develop the ability to look a small collection and identify how many objects there are without counting aloud. 

If you are interested in looking at different Mathematical concepts your child is learning at school, and what it actually means, Paul Swan has free parent guides that explain a concept, what it means and how you can help your child to understand the concept. https://drpaulswan.com.au/planning/quick-curriculum-guides/