Counting is one of the very fundamental skills that a child learns in the early stage of his or her life. It makes up the base of so many other future mathematical concepts and everyday life skills. However, learning to count does not need to be a difficult process. It may appear to be a fun-filled activity in which both you and your child participate. When should we start, what are the tips for involving toddlers in this counting experience, and what activities make counting fun?
When to Begin
You can start teaching counting to your child in his or her toddler years, which begin at about age two. Children this age are curious and find the world around them delightfully interesting. Your approach in introducing these counting lessons should be playful, informal, without pressure.
Tips on How to Engage Toddlers on Counting Activity
Make It Interactive: Use songs, rhymes, and finger plays that include numbers and counting. Children love music and movement, and it helps drive home concepts.
Use Visuals: Colourful, bright objects can grab a child’s attention. Use toys, blocks, or everyday things to make counting visual and concrete.
Build off routines: Count the steps as you climb, count the number of apples that go into the basket, or the number of socks as you sort laundry. This will model for them how numbers have a practical application.
Praise and Encourage: This means commending their efforts and successes, however small they may seem. This kind of positive reinforcement builds confidence and encourages further learning.
Counting Fun with Everyday Objects
They love to play with everyday things, so why not exploit that interest to teach counting? In this fantastic idea for a counting game shared by Co-Founder of Podar Prep, Dr. Swati Vats, in the parenting prep session, she uses everyday home items—bowls and spoons—for counting. Here’s how you can do it:
Count the Bowls: Take a few bowls and ask the child to count them. This will help him to relate numbers with objects or things around him.
Count the Spoons: Take a few spoons and ask your child to count them. You can also make it fun by taking varied sizes and different material spoons, but don’t mix too many concepts together.
She advises against the mixture of concepts, like size and number, as a result of potential confusion to the young child. As Jean Piaget, the father of cognitive development, asserts, children in their tender age years cannot concentrate on two concepts at a time. So keep the counting activities simple and clear.
Counting Learning Promoters
- Sorting and Counting: This should be done using various objects like buttons, beads, or even toy animals. Ask your child to sort them according to colour or type and then count how many are in each group.
- Counting Games: Such games involve “One, Two, Three, Jump!” where your child would jump after counting to the number three. It involves physical activity together with counting.
- Number Hunt: Hide the numbers in your home or yard, and let your child find them. When he does, have him read the number aloud and then find something to count.
- Use Textured Objects: Dr. Vats suggested using objects with different textures and sounds, like wooden blocks or items made of stainless steel, so that counting becomes a ‘sensory experience’. This is not only helpful for learning to count but also allows children to experience different textures and sounds.
Conclusion
Counting has to be an enthusiastic and interesting creative act. Many opportunities provided in daily living must be available to teach counting. The daily routine, natural opportunity, common objects and ordinary behaviours assure the children of attaining a strong ability in counting. We at Podar Prep believe in making learning a joyful experience and encourage the parents to indulge their children in playful and practical counting activities.
Want to make counting an exciting part of your child’s day? Come to Podar Prep and learn more ways to make your child’s learning journey fun and exciting!
