How to teach your child about numbers at home. In what conditions do we teach? Important account rules

Babies begin to count much earlier than many believe. Already at 18 months - that tender age when many babies still have neither speech nor developed motor skills - children are actively interested in the number of objects, develop their own strategies for counting them and react quite nervously to specially made mistakes by adults related to numbers.

Therefore, the first games for acquaintance of a child with an account can be started as early as a year and a half.

However, it is important not to rush and not expect miracles from very young children. The ability to notice your own mistakes and establish clear patterns connecting numbers comes a little later - between 3 and 5 years Learning to count begins in infancy: evidence from 18 month olds ’visual preferencess... It is this age that is considered optimal for starting meaningful math studies.

10 easy and fun ways to teach your child to count

1. Use digital examples more often in speech

By the age of 3-5, the baby is already developing a good vocabulary and is curious about the as yet incomprehensible words. The more often numbers will sound in your speech ("It's time to wake up: it's already eight!" “To take this bun, you need to give your aunt 12 rubles”), the more attention the child will pay to them, being curious and trying to get to the bottom of it.

2. Count wherever possible

You can count the steps. You can count down the seconds before the elevator doors open. You can use counting rhymes before starting any business: "One-two-three - Christmas tree, burn", "One-two-three-four-five - run." It is important for the baby to understand: numbers are not something abstract, but part of everyday life.

3. Play counting songs with video sequences for your baby

This is one of the most accessible, simple and fun ways to introduce a child to numbers, their order and the simplest rules of addition and subtraction. Surprising as it sounds, children learn math most effectively when they hear familiar and understandable oral speech. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation.

On YouTube, for example, there are tons of counting songs that your toddler can play on the road or hum along during the day. Here is a modern urban counting song in Russian:

And here is a wonderful English-language collection for the little ones:

In general, choose what your baby will like - and go ahead: watch, listen and sing along.

4. Link numbers to development

The simplest example is the marks on the game stadiometer. “Look, on your last birthday you were 92 centimeters tall, and now it’s already as much as 100! Let's try you on in a month - I wonder if you will grow up to 101 centimeters? " The preschooler is actively looking for his place, himself in the world around him. He already realizes that he is growing. And the numbers that grow with it, arouse natural interest as one of the ways to know oneself.

Sorting is one of the most important mathematical tricks. We separate even numbers from odd, integers from fractional, simple from composite ... Naturally, the baby is still far from such concepts, but the logic of future arithmetic operations can be taught as early as 3-4 years old.

These are cardboard pictures familiar to many, where numbers are depicted next to the corresponding number of objects. For example, 1 can be depicted next to an apple, 2 - with a couple of bananas, 3 - with three cherries, and so on. The main purpose of such cards is to create a stable connection between the image of a number and its actual value.

It is good if such mnemonic elements are encountered by the baby as often as possible. For example, magnetic cards can be hung on the magnetized board of a children's easel or on the refrigerator. From time to time, without bothering the child, it is important to go over the cards with him, counting from 1 to 9 and back. This fixes in the memory the sequence of counting and understanding what exactly is hidden behind abstract and so far incomprehensible to the baby words like “two”, “three” or “nine”.


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Well, to make it interesting for the kid himself to tinker with the cards, there are models "with a secret". For example, sliding ones.

Legendary teacher Maria Montessori in her book “My Method. Guidelines for the upbringing of children from 3 to 6 years old ”said that almost the best results in teaching preschoolers to count were shown by classes with money (or their dummies).

I give the children coins of one, two or four centimes, and with their help the little ones learn to count to ten. The most practical way to teach children to count is to show them the coins in use, and the most useful exercise is to change money. Such exercises are so closely related to everyday life that they arouse keen interest in all children without exception.

Maria Montessori

At the next stages, mathematical games with other subjects are connected. For example, apples: their child is invited to count and distribute equally to all the children present). Or, for example, with cups, when the baby is asked: “We are going to drink tea now, bring so many cups so that there is enough for everyone” (that is, the child has to first count the number of those present, and then bring the required amount of utensils).

Also Montessori considered it necessary to connect mathematics with sensations. It might look like this. Offer your child several brightly colored sticks of different lengths (you can simply sprinkle them on the table) and ask them to choose the longest one by eye. When the kid makes a choice, ask if he is sure that his wand is the champion? To test, compare it sequentially with the others remaining in the common heap. It's good if on each of the sticks its length is indicated in the form of a noticeable number: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 centimeters and so on. So the child will learn to feel the length.

10. Use the Glen Doman technique

American physician Glen Doman believed that the brain of a small child is much more powerful than is commonly believed: it is able to instantly analyze and perceive huge flows of information, even if it seems to adults that the baby “does not understand anything”.

Doman's technique is based on approximately the same principle as mnemonic cards: on the establishment of a connection between numbers and what they mean. For the start, Doman suggested that parents make cards out of cardboard: a number is written on one side of them (in the case of 2-3-year-old kids - from 1 to 10), on the opposite side, a corresponding number of clearly distinguishable dots is applied.

According to Doman, you need to do math when your child is in a good mood.

Just a couple of minutes will be enough for the lesson. Show the kid a card with one dot and say clearly: "One." Then go to card "two" and so on. Do not delay: it should take no more time to show one card than to pronounce the corresponding number.

In the first classes, the child should simply observe. There is no need to ask him to repeat or perform other actions. After showing all the cards, be sure to tell the baby how much you love him, how you like him, pat him on the head, hug him and, if possible, treat him to something tasty: physical encouragement is an important part of Doman's technique.

In the first couple of lessons, the cards should follow one after the other in a clear numerical order - from 1 to 10. Starting from the third or fourth, they can be shuffled like a deck. And do not forget: we show quickly, we praise generously. This will allow the child, without getting bored in the learning process and even enjoying it, to firmly master the connection between digital symbols and quantity.

What's next

With the help of the above methods, the kid will be able to playfully learn how to count to 10 and in reverse order, as well as perform the simplest arithmetic operations: add and subtract. It will be easy for him, because he operates not with incomprehensible symbols, but with the meaning hidden behind him - the number of objects. For a child 4–5 years old, this level of mathematical knowledge is quite sufficient.

The next step is to consistently learn to count to 20, then to 100, to get acquainted with more complex operations: multiplication and division. However, even at higher levels, it is important to follow the key principle: mathematics should not turn into a heavy duty. The more joy and games in the account, the easier and easier it will be for a child (and then a teenager) to communicate with numbers.

When the baby grows out of the diaper, starts to run, talk and be interested in everything, loving parents think about how to teach the child to count. These skills are very useful for a little person, and the sooner he masters them, the better.
Next, let's talk about how to introduce the baby to numbers and numbers up to 100.

When to teach your child to count?

No one can name the exact dates, but it has been scientifically proven that at 2-3 years old a child has the strongest need for new knowledge and information. Now the baby is ready to learn everything, he absorbs knowledge like a sponge, reaches for the unknown and in general is an ideal soil for cultivating certain abilities.

That is why it is better to start introducing the baby to the numbers in the period from two to three years. However, you can do this earlier. Already at the age of one year, children have ways to understand that one and two are different things, although they are not yet able to fully comprehend the quantitative states of objects.


How to teach to count to 10?

Counting to 10 is the main task that needs to be given to the parent of a small child. But it can be difficult for a kid to master 10 numbers at once, so teach your baby to count to 5 first.

To do this, you can resort to the following methods, which are easy to implement at home.

  • There are five fingers on the hand - starting from this, introduce the little one to the "names" of the numbers.
  • Show cards with objects depicted on them (from one to five) - remember, it is better not to show the image of the numbers themselves to the baby for now.
  • Educational cartoons and programs - they can be found on the Internet.
  • Abacus and other educational toys.
  • Poems and nursery rhymes.
  • Counting in everyday life.

It is very good if you introduce your baby to household chores, while teaching counting. For example, you can instruct your baby to wash five cups. At the same time, ask the child to count: one cup, two cups. Or, before going to the store, ask your toddler to memorize five items from the grocery list. The child should remind you of what to buy. In this case, you can bend your fingers so as not to lose count. This will allow you to both teach the child to count in the mind, and take care of the development of his memory.

Lessons with cards will be useful. These manuals are sold in all bookstores and online stores for children. First, show the cards sequentially, then alternate - let the child answer how many objects are depicted on the card (remember that we are not teaching how to write numbers yet!)

But try not to bore the kid with your "math". Do everything unobtrusively and easily, in a playful way, so that the kid does not feel like a student in the classroom ahead of time.

This activity is similar to when you want to teach a child to read by syllables and introduce him to letters and sounds step by step. Take your time, make sure that the baby has learned the information well before moving on to the next stage of learning.


How to teach a child to write numbers?

After the first 10 digits are learned, you can show your child how they are written. It is better not to burden the baby's memory and study one written number a day.

Dedicate to digital all day:

  • write it down on a piece of paper and hang it in a prominent place;
  • together with the child, mold a figure from plasticine;
  • watch the program, which tells about this figure;
  • give examples using the calendar. For example, "On the 2nd we will go to grandma's."

Such a simple and everyday object as a clock will help a child write numbers. The child has probably seen it many times, so he will not be new to the numbers on the dial.


How to teach to count to 20?

The next stage of the child's mathematical education at home will be counting to 20. You should start classes only when the baby has already mastered the numbers from 1 to 9 and the number 10 well.

  1. Explain that each subsequent (further 10) number will consist of two digits. In other words, each number is divided into tens and ones. The first digit is tens, the second is ones.
  2. Use two boxes. In one, put ten objects (balls, cubes, etc.) in the other - one (2, 3, 4), this illustrative example will help the baby understand what's what.
  3. Say that all the numbers in the one position follow one another, that is, after 11 comes 12, then 13, 14, etc.
  4. When the child understands the essence of counting up to 20, you can give him a little task. For example, ask your child to put 16 dryers (sweets, balls) in an empty box. In this case, the baby must count out loud.


How to teach to count to 100?

By the age of 4-5, when the baby is already counting from 1 to 20, you can introduce him to numbers up to 100. This requires some patience and time, learning to count is a rather long and laborious process.

  1. First of all, tell us that there are 9 tens in the number series up to 100. Name the numbers - 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90. But make a reservation that between these numbers there are also ones, that is, these the numbers don't go one after the other.
  2. After this short overview lesson, have your child learn 10 new numbers a day. Start with your third ten (21, 22, 23 ...). Before bed, ask your toddler to share what they have learned. In this case, you can repeat the material covered, counting any items.
  3. When the child has studied several dozen numbers, play a game with him: show the number series with the missing number in the middle. The kid must find and insert the lost item.
  4. Praise the child for the correct answers, rejoice in his success. Motivate your toddler to learn.


How to teach to add and subtract?

Basic operations such as addition and subtraction are useful for your child even before school. The ability to count objects in everyday life will give a little self-confidence, as well as give an impetus to the development of intelligence. But where do you start?

First of all, remember - no math lessons! Only a game and an interesting pastime.

  1. Prepare visual material: apples, sweets, cubes - something that the baby will be interested in operating with.
  2. First, parse a prime number (for example, 3). You can get a total of 3 by adding two candies and one. Ask your child to show how much he understood the explanation.
  3. Continue adding until the child understands what is what, and only then proceed to subtract.

You have put in enough effort for your child to learn to speak. Now you are faced with the next task - learning to count. When should you do it? Does the baby need special conditions? How to teach a child to count by numbers? What methods are most effective? We will try to help and make this process interesting for you and your child.

Before starting to teach numbers with a child, it is worth deciding when it will be appropriate. Studies that have been conducted by scientists and educators have shown that it is quite easy to explain number sequences and other new information to a child aged 2 to 3 years.

The fact is that children now literally "absorb" everything new, and it is during this period that parents must make sure that the information they will invest is most useful for the development of new skills and abilities in the crumbs. During this period, the baby himself reaches for everything unknown, use this to teach how to count.

  • At the age of one year, the child begins to realize that "1" and "2" are different concepts, although in order to finally comprehend the quantitative states he is still too small. He is already interested in signs and numbers in their appearance, so from 1 to 3 years old, you can teach a child oral counting in a playful way.
  • If you maintain curiosity and engage in development, children at the age of 5 are not only counting by numbers, but also performing logical tasks. And after going to the first grade, they count by numbers up to a hundred or more, and perform tasks related to them. True, you can teach a child to write numbers earlier.
  • Remember that each baby is unique, each has its own character and features of mental processes. And if a neighbor's boy at 1.5 years old can memorize numbers, and your baby, who is barely 3 years old, is not yet familiar with them, this is not scary.

Not comparing your son or daughter with others, but encouraging and motivating, you will help him or her quickly learn a number of numbers and even add them, as well as apply in life.

In what conditions do we teach?

There are no restrictions here. This does not require a specially equipped classroom. You can deal with the baby both with the help of special lessons and in the process of everyday affairs. The creativity of mom, dad and other loved ones will help with this.

For example:

  1. Children are taught to count the objects around them during a walk and, especially, during a shopping trip, making up the number of purchased products;
  2. While in a queue, you can count the people standing next to you - how many are in front of you and how many after.
  3. Focus on the crumbs, for example, the number of buttons on the other mom's clothes and on the clothes of her son or daughter. Let your little one compare;
  4. You can pronounce various rhymes, starting from infancy, the main thing is patience and perseverance. In a couple of years, you will see the result. In this way, you engage both auditory and visual memory.

How to teach your child about numbers

This will help the methodology, which also consists of planned and regular five-minute lessons. One of the ways how to learn the composition of a number is to print cards on which the number 1 is written and a circle is drawn, number 2, respectively, with 2 mugs, etc. Show them quickly.

Next, close, for example, the number 5, and leave the pictures, let the baby name it himself. Over time, the baby will remember the learned signs and will be able, in this way, to learn the composition of the number without any problems. Scatter in a chaotic manner and let him give you a specific number. These sessions should be short but regular.

Learning to count to 10

Logic says that initially we learn numbers up to 10, because having learned to understand single-digit numbers, it is already easier to master counting up to 20 and up to 100. True, it is difficult to study the digital series up to ten. Therefore, the first must be the number 5, and, accordingly, all preceding it.

After the first five has been mastered, we move on to the second. The best methods to learn numbers:

  • Elementary account- one, two, three, four, five, we lead, of course, with the help of our fingers. Further, with this in mind, you should print image cards with various objects. Observe the logic - we study the number 1, showing a card with the image of one object, 2 - two objects, 3 - three, 4 - four, etc. So we will learn the first grade of five numbers;
  • We use modern Internet resources... There are many opportunities to study numbers for children using the World Wide Web - these are educational cartoons and programs in different languages ​​of the world, emoticons with numbers printed on social networks and using applications. In addition, you can print beautiful and interestingly designed icons found on the network in the form of numbers, for example, numbers for Vkontakte;
  • Special toys. These can be sticks, abacus, cubes, etc.;
    single-digit numbers are always in nursery rhymes and nursery rhymes - do not forget to learn them with a crumb;
  • In the process of household chores give the baby the opportunity to wash 5 plates. Connect them and say the number - one plate, two plate, three plate, etc. This study is one of the easiest ways to learn how to count by numbers, and then to solve logical problems. This is doubly cool - the child learns to help adults and count at the same time;
  • Let the baby remember what to buy and say a list of 5 items. When everything is purchased, connect and show the items together.

Diy book in pictures

It can contain everything related to calculus. You can print photos and paste them there.

  • Considering that processing digital photos does not take much time, this will not be difficult. Take pictures of objects familiar to your child and combine in his imagination a photo from a book with a real situation. Leave a place where you can paste badges and keep track of them;
  • In parallel, learn and write by numbers. To make the writing process interesting for your son or daughter, draw emoticons with numbers;
  • With children, you can make a coloring, which shows large symbols that should be learned and objects corresponding to the number. For example, a typewriter and 4 wheels, or a classroom and several desks. The child will inevitably like the process of coloring, and he will unobtrusively remember everything he needs.

In these simple ways, even two-year-old children master the numbers and easily operate with them.

  1. Do not force the crumb by force... The kid should not feel that he is in front of a class with a teacher, but on the contrary a cozy and beloved home.
  2. Everything should be in the form of a game... Whatever difficult tasks you set for your child, try to constantly play with him. Scientists and mothers from all over the world have proven that this way the baby quickly learns any information.
  3. Take enough time, but don't go overboard.... Let it be 5 minutes a day, but every day.
  4. Remembering new information... Develop visual, auditory and motor memory at the same time.

An equally important rule is not to compare your baby with other children. The child should not be blamed for the fact that he cannot count, but the neighbor's boy can.

First step. We do not use a number notation

The primary task is to teach how to count to 10 , n e using the corresponding numbers. Actions with objects come to the fore. For example, there was one spoon, put another one - there were two spoons. Then you can increase the number of spoons by saying the name of the number.

Practical tasks will help in solving this problem. For example, more often ask a child about the number of something: how many plates, how many slippers, how many birds are on that branch. You can count anything, even the steps of a staircase.

Second phase. Acquaintance with the numbers themselves.

In the first grade, the number 1, 2, 0 is first studied, and then 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. The position of zero is due to the fact that at first it is difficult for a student to understand why emptiness is indicated by a number. And then, when actions with numbers are already being practiced, it becomes clear why zero is needed. For example, there were five apples on the table, five were eaten. Remained - nothing, that is, zero.

Another option: These drawings are shown, and the teacher asks the children: "What has changed?" They will mark: "Nothing."

The second sample shows that if three points in one square are removed completely, then there will be an empty square and there will be no points at all.

The main rule that children must understand when counting to ten is: each digit is one less than the next one and more than the last digit by one.

Techniques for teaching counting to ten:


  • Little train game... A common number memorization workout done in first grade. One student comes out in front of the class, he says that he is the first car. After that, another one comes out, and says: one and one more will be two. And so it continues until ten. Then the operation is done in reverse order. The carriages "split up" one at a time. The purpose of this exercise is to memorize the order of numbers in forward and backward order.

  • Show on the ruler... This is an outdated method based on rote memorization and visual proof of the order of numbers.

  • Finger counting... Traditional and easiest for kids. Can be used at first, until the child is the order of the numbers. Then you have to wean yourself off the fingers, telling the "secrets" of the transformations of numbers.


  • Use of funny poems and cartoons about numbers... It will be interesting to watch the cartoon "How the kid learned to count" or to pronounce counting rhymes.

Memory poems for learning counting

Berry account

A chanterelle was walking along the edge:
- Once, in a basket of strawberries,
Two are like blueberries in the sky,
Three - ruddy lingonberry,
And four - here is a cloudberry,
Five - a little currants,
Six is ​​like a bead of viburnum,
Seven - like a rowan sun,
Eight - blackberries in the paw,
Nine is blue blueberry
Ten are juicy raspberries.
Here is a full basket!

One is a hand, two is a hand -
We make a snowman!
Three is four, three is four
Let's draw a mouth wider!
Five - we'll find carrots for the nose,
Let's find some embers for the eyes.
Six - put the hat sideways.
Let him laugh with us.
Seven and eight, seven and eight,
We'll ask him to dance.
Nine - ten - snowman
Over the head - somersault!
What a circus!

Let's go for a walk
And catch up with the second,
Third fingers running
And the fourth on foot
The fifth finger jumped,
And at the end of the path he fell.


  • Game "Name the number of neighbors". For example, you need to name the neighbors of the number 4.

  • The exercise "The numbers got lost"... It is necessary to arrange in order the randomly laid out pictures with numbers. There is another interpretation of this exercise: Baba Yaga mixed up all the numbers. Help me arrange them correctly.


  • 10 chicken legs were visible under the fence. Question: how many chickens are there in total? - Counting in twos: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 - five chickens.

  • How many boots should I give three goslings? Similar to the previous problem.

  • It is most convenient to count as fives by watching the clock.

How to learn the addition and subtraction table within ten?

After the child knows the order of the numbers, it is useful to apply tasks for the composition of the number. You can, of course, memorize the composition of the number 5, for example, but it is better to use game actions with objects with a parallel setting for memorization.

For example:

One plate contained 4 oranges, and the other - 2. How many oranges are there in total? (The problem of finding the sum)

There are 6 apples in total, and there are three friends. Divide each one equally, equally.

You can also combine with simple tasks small schemes that are easy to use in the lesson and at home.

It is not difficult to give such an example for the displacement law of addition: one plate with two apples is on the table, and the other plate with four apples is lying side by side, if you swap them, the total number of apples will still remain unchanged.

How to teach a child to add and subtract with the transition through a dozen?

In the example below, to add the numbers 8 and 5, the second term is expanded to add ten to the first term, and then the remainder is added to ten.

As for the subtraction, then the decreasing in terms of the bit composition is decomposed here. In the example 15 minus 8, we see that the number 15 expands to its bit units. As a result, you always get 10 and bit ones - 5. Now: the subtracted must be decomposed into terms. The first term will be bit units from 15, and the second term is selected (children know the composition of the number 8). Now it remains to subtract the second term from the eight from 10. And the answer is ready. With a little practice, you can easily solve such examples in your head.

For an elementary school child, only three tables are important:


  • addition and subtraction up to ten;

  • with the transition through a dozen;

  • multiplication table.

Knowing these three charts makes it easy to advance math in middle school. Therefore, the first account of a child is his first steps into the world of mathematics. And it is desirable that these steps were in a playful form, because an interesting and visual form of exercises helps to learn to count faster and to gnaw the granite of the science of mathematics with greater motivation.

The ability to count in the head is a necessary skill even in our age of high technologies, when a calculator is always at hand in a smartphone or in other devices. Successful schooling is impossible without this skill. The need for quick counting can arise at any time and in various situations, for example, when visiting a store. In addition, verbal counting is an important brain training that develops memory and intelligence. In order for the baby to be able to quickly and correctly name the result of any arithmetic operation, parents will need to study the question of how to teach a child to count in the mind.

When the child is ready to learn

The readiness for mental arithmetic is formed in children by the age of 5–6. The predominance of visual-figurative thinking prevents preschoolers and younger students from perceiving and memorizing abstract mathematical concepts. However, children at this age have excellent visual memory, which allows them to quickly memorize shapes and colors. Therefore, before learning how to operate with abstract numbers, the kid must master the counting using visual examples and get acquainted with certain concepts.

  • The kid should be able to carry out simple mathematical operations based on practical actions with objects. If he cannot add three cars and two more, he is unlikely to be able to do the addition "3 + 2" in his head. In the future, the use of various counting materials, including the crumbs' own fingers, should be gradually eliminated. Indeed, when counting on sticks or fingers, the mechanism of long-term memory does not turn on, which can slow down the development of mathematical abilities.
  • To master the oral counting, it is necessary that the kid knows such concepts as "more" and "less", understands the composition of numbers.
  • The child must understand that even when the numbers are reversed, their meaning and the result of the action do not change. This can be explained to him, for example, with the help of cards with numbers.
  • The kid should know that addition is the opposite of subtraction.

Preparation for training

You should prepare your child for mental arithmetic from the very beginning of learning mathematics.

  • When the kid gets acquainted with numbers, he should get used to the fact that any number denotes a group with a certain number of objects. It is necessary not only to show him what the number 3 looks like, but to demonstrate this clearly, for example, by laying out three apples or three identical toys in front of him.
  • It is useful to associate numbers with various fairy-tale characters or with specific concepts (3 pigs, 5 fingers on a hand, etc.). With the help of positive associations, the baby will form images tied to certain numbers.
  • To study the numbers and their composition, you can make a box with cubes by dividing it into 10 cells (5 in each row). While studying the numbers, the kid fills in the required number of cells with cubes. This method will help the kid remember how many cubes are required to complete each number to 10, which is very important for mastering oral counting.

Learning stages

Teaching your baby to count in the head can be divided into the following stages:

  • using visual aids;
  • using cards with numbers;
  • verbal counting out loud without the use of manuals;
  • oral counting in a whisper;
  • counting in the mind.

You should not move on to the next stage until the child has mastered the previous one, thus bringing the skill to automatism.

Doing math in your mind

Addition and subtraction... The most difficult thing for preschool children is to understand what the composition of a number is. It is necessary, with the help of daily exercises and visual examples, to help the baby figure out the composition of the numbers from 2 to 10. The child must know and understand that, for example, eight can be obtained in several ways: 4 + 4, 3 + 5, 1 + 7, 2 + 6 ...

Based on the knowledge gained, brought to automatism, the baby will be able to perform addition and subtraction, including with the transition through a dozen. When the child learns this by speaking the actions out loud, you can ask him to say the sequence in a whisper, and then to himself.

Explaining to the kid the principle of counting, the result of which is the numbers of the second ten, it is necessary to teach the baby how to split the terms so that the whole tens and the remainder are obtained. For example, 5 + 8 = 5 + 5 + 3 = 10 + 3.

A similar technique can be used for subtraction: 14 - 8 = 14 - 4 - 4 = 10 - 4. To carry out such actions, the baby must be able to perfectly count to 10.

It is better to start preparing for counting from 10 and on with the game "Find a Pair". The child must learn all pairs of numbers that form a total of 10. To simplify counting, it is also worth making out the composition of round numbers: 30 = 10 + 10 + 10, and 5 is half 10.

Multiplication... Not every adult is able to easily perform complex mathematical operations in the head. But children remember new information faster. If the child has successfully mastered addition and subtraction in the mind, you can proceed to the next stage - multiplication.

Here again a visual aid will come to the rescue - boxes with cubes. It is necessary to explain to the kid that two boxes of 5 cubes are only 10 cubes, and 3 boxes of 5 cubes are 15, etc.

Then you can start learning the multiplication table with your child. You will have to learn it by heart, like a poem. Examples will appear only in lines: twice three - six, twice four - eight, etc. You can hum the lines, write on paper and hang on the wall. You do not need to try to learn more than one such "poem" per lesson, at first you should limit yourself, for example, only to multiplying by two.

By repeating the multiplication table throughout the week, the child will remember it. Then you can move on to the next stage - start asking the baby according to the table. But you don't need to be too zealous, for the crumbs it should be a fun game.

Division... This is the most difficult mathematical action for a child's perception. You can start it only after successfully mastering addition, subtraction and multiplication, as well as after memorizing the multiplication table.

When teaching division, counting materials are used, they can be sweets or toys. For example, ask your toddler to share 6 candies between two children.

When the visual examples become clear to the child, you can move on to "invisible" objects. For example, ask the kid to imagine that he has 6 candies that need to be divided equally between him and two friends, count in his head and voice the result.

A week after the child has clearly demonstrated the concept of division, you can start classes on the multiplication table, performing the actions in the reverse order (the final number is divided by the dividend). The final stage is checking the passed material.

There is no consensus among teachers about the need for children to master arithmetic operations for multiplication and division even before school, it all depends on the individual abilities of the baby. If parents are confident that their child is ready for such activities, they can teach him without overloading their child with math lessons.

Exercises to develop mental arithmetic

When performing these exercises, it is necessary to select numerical ranges taking into account the age of the child, and also immediately work on the mistakes, sorting them out together with the baby.

  • "Name the numbers in which ..."... Ask the kid to name all the numbers from 1 to 40, which contain 2. The child visually represents all the numbers in a row in his mind and chooses those in which there is a two. This exercise is great for training your visualization skills and the ability to work with numbers.
  • "Mind the progression"... The child must move from 3 with a step of 2, that is, add two to three and then add 2 again to the resulting number (it turns out 5, 7, 9, etc.). The exercise sharpens the skill of addition, allows you to visualize and work through all the numbers. Then the exercise is repeated, but this time for subtraction.
  • Using Schulte tables... This manual is a tables with randomly located numbers, which serve to develop the speed of finding numbers in a certain order.

    You need to ask the child to find all the numbers in a certain range (for example, from 1 to 15). The exercise helps the baby to quickly navigate the numbers, working with their images in the mind.

  • Illustrative examples... For a child to master quick mental counting, it is necessary to conduct training using visual examples everywhere - at home and on the street, inviting the child to add and subtract. If a car with number 351 has passed, you can ask the child to quickly add 3 + 5 + 1 in his head and name the result.

Learning to count in your head should always take the form of a game. If the parents notice that the child is not coping or is not able to understand something, there is no need to insist on completing the task. In this case, it is better to try to return to simpler examples and only after a while again turn to more complex ones.