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One of the first things we teach our children is how to count. Parents and teachers spend millions of dollars every year on flash cards, counting books and little toys that can be used to count. There are hundreds of ways we work with our children each day to help them learn how to count. Counting is a very basic and necessary skill that helps our children move on to more complex mathematical skills. If you have fun with this skill, your child will be more eager to learn and will find it an enjoyable time spent with you.
Of course there is the obvious technique. Make sure you count everything and anything with your child. Count the cars you pass as you go to the grocery store. The number of books on your child's shelf should be checked often. Help your child count the number of bites he or she takes during dinnertime. Count the birds sitting on the fence in the back yard. Your child will be interested in knowing how many tomatoes you picked off the vine. The opportunities for this technique are endless.
Using art to help teach counting is always a good way to get your children excited about counting. Children love to create and use art materials. Give them the opportunity to use this as often as possible. You can make numbers out of beads or use craft sticks to create number statues. Make sure your child knows he or she should stand them up in order when he or she is finished constructing them.
Finger paint is a great way to give your child a hands-on experience with numbers. The feel of the paint gushing through his or her fingers is an added bonus to learning the symbol of the number. It is important to have your child match that symbol with its quantity. So, have him or her make dots or lines or whatever he or she wants at the bottom of his or her painting that represents the number.
Cooked spaghetti is wonderfully pliable and can be formed into any number symbol a child wishes. It is fun to play with and can also be used to make quantity representations as well as symbolic. For added fun, you can use the tri-color pasta. If you place it on freezer paper it will even stick for a little while. Allow your child to use crayons to write the number and its quantity as well. This will reinforce his or her ability to write the number and understand the quantity that is contained within the symbol.
When you decide to work with paper and pencil and wish to have counters for your child to use as he or she counts to record on the paper, you do not have to spend money on expensive little toys. There are numerous objects you can use that you'll find around your house. Some of these include pennies, paper clips, screws, nuts, bolts, twisty-ties, and crayons. If your child has Legos or toy cars, you can use these as well. For an added prize allow your child to count M&M's or Skittles or some other small candy that he or she can eat when he or she is finished with the counting.
With auditory learners it is best to use sound and music to help them learn how to count. Counting the beats in a favorite song while clapping or stomping feet is always fun and gets your child eager about counting. If you have a whistle or something that makes a gong noise you can have your child count how many times you make the noise. Let your child count how many rings the telephone sounds before someone answer it. These are just some of the ways to get a child who learns best while listening motivated to count.
Using board games, dice, cards and dominoes will help reinforce what you are trying to teach your child about counting. With board games, your child does not need to know the exact rules to know that he has to count spaces to move his or her piece. You can make any board game simple enough for any level child if you use your imagination.
Rolling the dice and allowing your child to count and record his or her turn will help him or her feel success in counting. Cards are not only great counting motivators, you can match them to help reinforce the sight of a number and its quantity. Dominos are another great way to get your child involved in matching quantity. You can even match a domino with a card of the same quantity to further reinforce this part of counting.
Helping your child learn is always an exciting time for both you and your child. Using these ideas as springboards can help you develop more innovative ways to teach your child what he or she needs to know to strengthen his or her education. It is always important to remember to enjoy it and have fun with it. That will encourage your child to have fun learning, too.
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