When our oldest child was about 3 years old one day I heard her counting. I was a firm believer in "better late than early" so hadn't taught her to count, so I tried to figure out how she had learned. She had learned by listening to me count trophy parts (we have our own business).
When you teach your child to count, count objects so they aren't just memorizing the words, but the words actually have meaning. Count everything. Count the number of apples your buying at the store. Count the number of seeds in your slice of watermelon. Count the spoons for setting the table. Count the number of times you brush her hair. Count toys as you put them away. Count their socks, underwear, shoes, fingers, toes, hands, etc.
Don't forget zero. It is a very important concept. Before you put the glasses on the table, there are zero glasses on the table. Before any toys are in a container, there are zero. And so forth.
I'm glad you mentioned 'zero' because I've been teaching Timothy numbers 1-4 and I would have never thought of zero.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about counting everything, even though he's only 16 months we count things so often that he's picked it up. If i say to "give mommy two" he will. And even though he can't talk he still grunts or makes a sound as I count.