[Authentic_Mother]

My daughter is 4.5yrs old. She can read (thanks to "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 easy lessons) - but she cannot seem to count. She can count to 5 in order before throwing in randomness. She does not recognize even ONE number though.<br>
What can I do with her to work on this. Im confident she is smart and spoke with her school that she will be attending for kindegarten - they said if she can count to 20 then she can probably test out and skip kinde and go straight to 1st. Im not sure Im on board with that but I would like to get her counting well so its not so tough for her in school.<br>
Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[elizawill]

you can count everything you see together (buttons, pepperoni, any and all objects, etc)., but my kids found that annoying. what has worked best in the beginning was to play hide and seek and count aloud. we also count how long it takes a red light to turn green....how many seconds it takes to run to their room and grab something....how long it takes to get dressed...clean-up, etc. they liked that. board games are good too (since you have to count how many spaces you move, etc). as for number recognition - my kids like playing match (match numbers by flipping them over) and they like bingo a lot. chutes and ladders is good too. hth!

 

[elizawill]

i'm a dork. i totally forgot that we used file folder games a lot with my dd. she really loved them!!!<br><br><a href="http://www.childcareland.com/free.html" target="_blank">http://www.childcareland.com/free.html</a>

 

[pinky]

Here are a couple of activities we've enjoyed--<br><br>
Make cards (like index cards) and write the number plus the corresponding number of large dots in a row. Then give the child a dish of counters (buttons or something like that) and they can place them on the dots and use them for counting.<br><br>
In a similar activity, set up small jars with numerals written on them. You can also stick the above cards in the jars if she needs help. Give her a set of counters, and she can count them into the jars.

 

[Momma Aimee]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Eat">:<br>
count <b>FOOD</b> <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eat.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Eat">:<br><br>
Theo gets ONE cookie, and Brother gets ONE, then Theo gets TWO and so on ...<br><br>
trust me - he is only up to THREE but he is not even 3. he can count three things .. and I just write the number on the napkin (the only reason we sue paper ones for snack) ... he doesn't "get that part" yet but i turst he will<br><br>
I think -- DH feels -- numbers just need to be a part of reality -- like a print rich enviorment leads to reading ...<br><br>
A

 

[Lillian J]

<span><br><br>
Here are some picture books that can help with counting:<br><a href="http://www.childrenspicturebooks.info/math/counting.htm" target="_blank">Children's Picture Books - counting</a>. And there are lots of finger games and rhymes that can help: p<a href="http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/preschool-rhymes.htm" target="_blank">reschool fingerplays, etc....</a><br><br>
Although, it seems to me she'd be better off just going to kindergarten and learning it all there, and then going on to 1st grade naturally. Or skipping kindergarten altogether, staying home that year, and then testing into 1st grade. Because being smart is not the same as being ready for everything, and it's hard to see why she'd be better off being pushed into 1st grade early...<br><br>
- Lillian</span>

 

[Authentic_Mother]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>pinky</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/12237181"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Here are a couple of activities we've enjoyed--<br><br>
Make cards (like index cards) and write the number plus the corresponding number of large dots in a row. Then give the child a dish of counters (buttons or something like that) and they can place them on the dots and use them for counting.<br><br>
In a similar activity, set up small jars with numerals written on them. You can also stick the above cards in the jars if she needs help. Give her a set of counters, and she can count them into the jars.</div>
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</tr></table></div>
I did this! I just went to the dollar store and got the cards and some of those shiny polished glass rock thingys and she is very excited about working with them!!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br>
Thanks for the idea!<br><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/img/vbsmilies/smilies/joy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="joy">:

 

[mommy68]

I agree with counting things that you see while out and about. Have her count her food like goldfish, crackers, beans, etc. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"> Make it fun. I use raw pinto beans for my kids to do math games with.