At first glance this looks like a pretty simple activity and depending on your little’s age/skills it might be. However, for most early preschoolers this can be quite a challenging activity. Most early preschoolers can count aloud to ten, some can count touching objects to ten, however, not as many are able to identify written numbers. The pumpkin picture supports your little as he/she identifies and determines the order of the numbers to complete the puzzle.
Looking at all those pieces can make the puzzle look like a daunting task. Here are two practical ways you can support your little while he/she is working on number recognition. First, make a number line for the numbers 1 – 10 on a sentence strip or a strip of paper. This helps them see both the numbers and the order of the numbers. Use a another (same size) sentence strip to cover up all the numbers only revealing the number your little is looking for. As you go along have him/her identify the next number in the number line “What number comes after 4?” “Good! Yes! 5 comes after 4!” Then slide the sentence strip down to reveal the number 5. Have your little touch the number and then look for that number in the puzzle pieces remaining.
Another way to support is by printing out a second puzzle and keep it in tact. Let your little see the finished product and work by looking at the end result.
If your little struggles with this one don’t loose heart. Number recognition (just like letter recognition) takes time and practice. This was just one exposure and we’ll have lots more. In fact, Friday we’re doing another counting and number recognition activity so stay tuned!
Don’t forget to grab your FREE printable puzzle below!