Toddlers as young as 12 months old are able to recognize numbers. There are many ways you can work and play with your child to teach them numbers. When your toddler reaches the age of 3, they will even be able to start writing numbers.
The great thing about teaching your child numbers is that there is no best way to do it. There are games, books, and songs that put fun into education.
Here are a few awesome ways to teach number recognition to your child:
- Say Numbers with Everyday Activities: “Let’s count how many apple slices we have for snack today!” or “We are putting away our blocks now. We put away 1 block, 2 blocks, 3 blocks, 4 blocks, and 5 blocks! Good job!” Anytime there is more than one of something, use that opportunity to practice number recognition.
- Sing Number Songs: The rhythm and rhymes of songs help children remember patterns easier and in a fun and engaging way. You can sing a song that counts from 1 to 10 and a song that counts from 10 to 1. Make sure you use two different songs. One song can be Five Green and Speckled Frogs for counting from 5 (or 10) to 1. Another song can be The Ants Go Marching to count from 1 to 10.
- Learn Numbers on the Abacus: The abacus is a great multisensory tool. The sooner a child learns the abacus the better off they will be. The first thing to learn on the abacus is the recognition of numbers 1 through 10. Once a child has mastered this, mathematics and arithmetic will be no trouble at all. They first learn counting numbers 1 to 4 on the abacus. Then they will learn to count numbers 5 through 9.
- Read Number Books Together: Reading together is a great way to bond and foster curiosity in toddlers and young children. Reading a number book to your child will help them learn to recognize the different shapes of numbers and the orders of them.
- Create Your Own Flash Cards or Number Book: Alternatively you can create your own number book or flash cards with your child. With a blank craft book or note cards, on one side write the numbers 1 through 10; you can get very creative with this. On the other side, have your child draw the number of any object they choose, like cars, dogs, or kites. Encourage your child to pick different objects for different numbers. So, on the page or flash card with the number 7, they can draw 7 balloons and on the page or flash card with 8, they can draw 8 ice cream cones. This will allow your child’s creativity to grow with their number recognition.
- Encourage Number Recognition: Numbers are everywhere. They are in store signs and street signs, and on mailboxes and billboards. They are in books and television shows, and movies and video games. Everywhere you look there are numbers. When you see numbers around your child, ask them to recognize the number. This will allow them to recall the names of numbers without reciting them in order and to see numbers outside of their flash cards and number books. They will be excited now that they can recognize these numbers because of the fun games and songs they’ve been playing.
Teaching your toddler number recognition is important and can be an enjoyable experience for you and your child. However, there are a few things to be cautious of. First, you should always be patient with your child. Yes, it is important for them to learn and it is great to teach them early, but they will still make mistakes. It is okay when this happens because they are still learning. It will take time to understand numbers and especially number orders, so being patient is a must.
Next, make sure your toddler is recognizing and not reciting the numbers. This tends to happen when children only learn through song. They know and memorize the rhythm but will not know the numbers outside of the context of the song. For this reason, it is important to also teach recognition without songs such as on street signs, with flash cards, and especially with the abacus.
The last thing to keep in mind is not to overwhelm your child with too many numbers. When you are first starting, do not try to count numbers higher than 10. It is even okay to start with just numbers 1 through 5. If you start with numbers higher than 10, the concept may be too abstract for toddlers under the age of 4 to understand. Take your time with numbers and always make it fun!
Genie Academy provides a range of after-school educational programs, including mathematics, reading, writing, and coding. These programs are accessible in several locations across New Jersey, including Plainsboro, and are specifically developed for students from Pre-Kindergarten to 8th grade.
