to one hundred because she has no idea
what she is counting. She is simply reciting
something you told her. A better choice is
to count how many treats you are handing
her. Give her five M&Ms® and count one at
a time as you give them to her. Now ask her
how many M&Ms® she has. That is counting. Counting is defined as “knowing the
meaning of numbers not reciting numbers.”
It is the ability to associate the name (one)
with the actual number ( 1).
Another activity is going up and down
stairs and singing a counting song as you
climb. Other activities include having your
child set the table while counting the plates,
silverware, and napkins. It is important to
see math in everyday elements. This takes
the unknown and the fear out of math. If
they are doing math daily, they will have
the foundation for more complex problems
when formal training begins. Build a train,
and have your child make it longer by adding cars and make it shorter by subtracting
cars. Then you can ask him, “How long is
it?” and have them count the cars. There
are many opportunities in math that are
available in daily activities and play. I recommend reading Let’s Talk About Math by
Donna Kotsopoulos for more ideas. We are
encouraged to pick up on spontaneous moments from play rather than creating play.
Pay attention to what your child is doing,
and use it to nurture math skills.
It is important to give young children a
good foundation that prepares them for
formal training. This can be done without
any fancy toys or electronic devices. Use
real, tangible objects to count, including
your fingers and toes.
A good foundation includes vocabulary,
counting, shape recognition, comparison,
sequencing, matching, grouping, and measuring.
Remember, playing is the best form of
Editor’s Note: Visit Stephanie at www.steph
anielearning.com for handouts and training
on building preschool math skills and the Value of Play. If you send an email to stephwilk
@ live.com, she will send you a set of ten
counting stones for tactical learning.
Stephanie Wilkinson is a homeschooling
parent, curriculum expert, instructional
designer, and early childhood development
trainer. A teacher for more than 20 years,
she loves to inspire others to be the best
teacher, child care provider, and parent they
can be. She is honored to offer American Lit-
erature for High Schoolers through School
houseTeachers.com. With her master’s de-
gree in education and bachelor’s in English,
Stephanie provides a variety of top-quality
homeschool courses and child development
courses through stephaniElearning.com.
1. Let’s Talk About Math, Donna Kotsopoulos, Wilfrid Laurier University, https://legacy.wlu.ca/page.
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