Does anybody have any suggestions how I can help my daughter learn how to recognize her numbers?

Question

I have started with 1-5 for the last 2 weeks or a little more and she still can't say wish one it is just by me pointing at them she only knows 1&2. We have done worksheets, games, and writting them but nothing seems to be working. shes 4 and will start kinder in September. Just trying to get her ready.

Answer 1

I work in a low income neighborhood school as a kindergarten teacher and most of my students come in not being able to recognize ANY numbers or knowing how to count at all.

We go ONE NUMBER PER WEEK. So for five days in a row we will sing songs and paint, and glue and practice counting everything and anything that revolves around the number one during math time. If they dont get it after that week, it would be suprising. Anyway, we continue on this way until the number thirty (yeah thats 30 weeks) with time to review in between as well to take breaks and practice other subjects like shapes, patterns, etc. But numbers are the most important so we always go back to them. The only way kids dont learn their numbers is if they're frequently absent.

So you say she already knows the numbers 1 and 2 and you've been working on this for two weeks? Well that sounds about right for where she is developmentally. She's normal for a four year old so stop freakin' out. Your going to have to lower your expectations a bit. Four year olds dont learn like adults do or like older children do.

So starting tomorrow, Monday, reintroduce the number 3 and stick with it until Friday. The song we sing for the number three goes like this:

Around we go and around again (make a three with your finger into the air)
Around we go and around again(make a three with your finger into the air)
Around we go and around again(make a three with your finger into the air)
To make the number three.

Have her copy your gestures. Once, she learns how to copy your gestures and the song. Give her a fat pencil and sing the song again only this time write it on paper as you sing.

Of course practice counting to three and recognizing pics that contain three things, put the numbers one through three in order using flash cards, etc.

A fun arts and crafts activity (that also reinforces fine motor skills) is to take a marker to a piece of paper and make a big three on it then have her glue cheerios onto the black marker. So in the end there is a number three made out of cheerios or rice or beans. Put it on the fridge.

Continue on with as many numbers as you have weeks left before she starts Kindergarten. Oh by the way, thats how we teach the letters too! One letter and its sound per week.

Answer 2

She knows 1 and 2. So break it down even more. Teach her 3 and 4 next.

Take it two at a time. Then start to put them together.

Worksheets...eh....not a fan of those with kids.

Does she recognize the difference in them? Have a set list of 0-9 that she can reference. Have her put 0-9 in order. If she is not sure, she can go back and look.

When you check whether she knows them or not, don't tell her the answer at all. Have her go to the 0-9 chart and count.

Get 45 of something...anything interesting looking. Have her put 0 with 0, 1 with 1, two of the objects with 2, 3 of the objects with 3, etc. Check her knowledge of the numbers when she's done, but again...don't tell her the answers. Have her count.

Matt

Answer 3

Not all children learn the same way.
Perhaps a different tact ---try letting her 'feel' the number as in a plastic refrigerator magnet or the number cut out of a piece of sandpaper.
@@@@@ 5 ***** 5 +++++ 5
Try giving her 5 pieces of candy , cereal etc. counting them out with the number 5 lying there then follow up with 5 more objects- perhaps beans this time. Arrange them in a row -in a dice configuration two a space then three-------work on just one number at a time. When she is sure of that one , move to another then review. Try SAYING 1 2 3 4 5 in different ways, turn it into a rhyme or a silly song.
It will come Mommy

Answer 4

Hi rybak5,

1.Make some flash cards the 1-10 like a memory game-use paper with crayons or ( possible her favorite color markers) for the numbers
2.make 2 sets that way you'll have two 1's, two 2's etc. (then lay em on table so she can't see the number then show her how to play 1 & 1 is a match, 2 & 2 is a match etc. this is an easy game & she will catch on that you can play with her,
3.buy some flash cards-abc's or numbers,
4. use cheerios, grapes, carrots etc. count out 1-10 that way she'll have a snack,
5. ABC's-apple, ball, cat, dog etc.
Good luck & have a good day. :0)

Answer 5

Don't make it formal, don't do worksheets *shudder*

do it in everyday life in everyday situations, where she hardly knows she's 'learning' - my 3 year old knows numbers to 10 because she's been looking at them since she was 1 - in games, on the TV, around the house, out in the street - by always looking at them, talking about them, spotting them when out and about, it all goes in gradually and in a more relevant way.

However, school is for teaching and learning and she won't be the first child to need help with this, so don't worry if she hasn't got it by then.

Answer 6

I would have her first receptively ID the numbers from a field of 2. Ex. have numbers 1 & 3 laying out. Ask her to touch the number 1. Then ask her, "what number is this?" and have her expressively ID it as well. As she gets better move the field to three numbers and do it the same way. Then after you have receptively ID'd all the numbers you are working on, focus on her expressively IDing them only and in random order.

Answer 7

hi!

i think you will not have to worry so much. as your child grows up, it will learn more quickly. she is just going to be or 4 so her brian will be still at the playing stage. my cousin is also 3/4 and when i told her to tell me from no 1 to 10, she said like this, 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10! she leep missing the 7 so we cannot rush them.

but you could buy some cds with songs inside, this may attract her! songs like,

1,2,3,4,5
once i got a fish alive!
6,7,8,,9,10
then i let it go again
why did you let it go?
because it bites my finger so!
which finger did it bite?
the little finger on my right!

you could do some actions too. let her know the rythm then if she speaks not so clearly, teach her the numbers to fill up it! she will be able to speak the numbers more clearly then the words cause it is easier! hope this helps! =)

Answer 8

Before teaching symbols (numbers and letters), you have to teach your child to group objects by different properties: by color, by shape, by texture, by quantity...

When grouping by shapes, discuss with her what exactly is different... Exercises with finding differences between 2 pictures would help. It will help her to see small details.

Only when your child have learned to see and explain the differences between real objects and than between pictures, you can start talking about abstract symbols: numbers and letters.

I teach "Math and Logic" to the children starting from 4 years old. Besides "no prerequisite knowledge" case, I had seen "gifted child" problem - they do not want to learn anything if they do not understand "why?". If it is your child's case, you have to come up with some practical "kitchen activity" that would use numbers widely.

Answer 9

Leave her alone. If this hasn't worked, you'll just make her anxious and frustrated about numbers. Kindergarten teachers get paid the big bucks (Ha-ha) to know a dozen ways and how to make it fun. The other children will probably have a big positive effect on this, too.

Answer 10

Draw and then cut out big numbers.
Then take some of her toys and lay them out in groups (1,2,3...) Lay the cut out Numbers in front of the groups.
This will cause her to recognize grouping, numbering and the number itself.