Ideas for teaching number recognition...

[shernandez]

I have the completely opposite problem of another forum member! My daughter can easily identify and name the letters by sound and look, but we are having difficulty with number recognition. Generally, she is fine up until 6, and then she just guesses. Anybody have any good ideas to help (or curriculum suggestions)? I am not a numbers person, so I cannot think of anything to do. We go over them, we count them (she can easily count), we match them with sets, etc. Thanks!!!

[Mallory]

Have her push the buttons on the microwave or set a timer (we use timers all the time, so there are lots of times to practice this).

 

If you have a cd player where she can put in the numbers for a track that can be fun too. I have my kids check the clock often too, even if they just read one number at a time at first one one two four instead of eleven twenty four.

 

When you are driving somewhere ask her to find numbers on signs. Or on menus at restaraunts or price tags at stores.

 

I am also a big fan of posting necessary info on the door of the fridge and by the toilet (there might be other spots that would work for you but these tend to be pretty universal spots that most kids stop by several times a day). Put a 7 on both of those spots and I guess it won't take more then a couple days before she knows it. (We've also been known to post memory work, math facts, history dates, important definitions and so on there).

 

Not that I think there is any huge hurry, she'll get them before you know it, but these are easy ways to add more numbers to your day.

[FromA2Z]

My ds2 is the same. I'm not worried since he is young. It just perplexes me since he knows both UC and Lc letters and their sounds, which is so much more then numbers. He can count pretty well to 20 and seems to understand one:one correspondence. I've tried various "informal" things like number books, matching and dice games....he's just not interested. I'm thinking about getting the Leapfrog Numbers Ahoy video.

[mrs.m]

I think this is something that most children master sometime during their 5th year. There are always exceptions but it certainly is developmently appropriate at this point. My kids could count very early on but the number recognition took a lot longer and developed along with their ability to write. Writing numbers really seemed to seal it in.

 

Keep counting and playing games. I had a set of cards with bears on them that I would have them put into order starting with 1-5 and then 1-10, etc. We had a Thomas lapbook with numbers for counting. I found this one: http://growingupwithconnor.blogspot.com/2010/10/counting-lapbook.html but if you search for counting lapbooks, you'll find a lot of fun activities. I also had a game with clothes pins and matching the numbers to the dots. And i would give them numbers that stuck on the tub wall. They would put those in order. Color by number coloring sheets were fun for my youngest who loved to color.

 

Check out confessions of a homeschooler's blog for more ideas: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/tag/numbers

[shernandez]

Thanks!!! I will have to try some of these ideas:)

[boscopup]

I really loved the R&S ABC series book Counting With Numbers for my child that struggled with picking these things up on his own by living life (as my other two kids did). Within a few weeks, he could recognize and write the numbers. It's an inexpensive little workbook. I've just ordered another copy for my youngest (who doesn't need it for number recognition, but I also love the writing instructions, like "around and back on the railroad track... two, two, two!" :) )