Learning to count for children 3 4. Numbers and numbers. Learning to count. Simple object operations: addition and subtraction

25.12.2021

I only found out about this book for the little ones through an online store. I saw a novelty, decided to read the description and reviews, and became interested in such a developmental guide.

Parents should know that it is the first duty of the parents themselves to engage in the development of their child, since it is the mother who should give the baby the first knowledge, the very basics.

Figures and numbers. Learning to count.

For children 3-4 years old

The book interested me with its title - it is important that the child begins development as early as possible and learns how to count correctly, recognize numbers and numbers.

We already have a lot of books published by O. N. Zemtsova - the benefits turned out to be really useful for the child, made with high quality, and, most importantly, arousing interest in the baby.

About the book

This book will attract the attention of the baby with its bright cover. After all, parents should be aware that the brighter the cover on the book, the more interest the child will have in mastering it.

This educational book belongs to the "Smart Books" series, published by the Makhaon publishing house.

Book format

I am glad that the book came out not only bright, but also big. It was very interesting for my daughter to pick up such a large book and look at it. Indeed, on a large book you can put many, many all sorts of pictures, so pleasing to children's eyes.

The book has a size of 205 X 260 mm. It is completely held in the hands of a small child, since it is not at all heavy - there are only 16 pages in the book.

I, like many mothers, was pleased that the paper in the book is thick. This is very important, as a thin piece of paper will immediately tear from curious children's hands.

Pictures are the most important thing in a children's book. The more pictures, the brighter, more interesting and kinder - the more desire the learning process will cause in the child.

Here, in this book, there are many pictures on each page. All of them seem to be simple, but drawn brightly, clearly and accessible.

With such pictures, it is very fun for the baby to perform mathematical tasks.

The illustrators of the book are Anna Makhotina and Tatyana Savvushkina.

As it is written on the book itself - it is designed by the authors for children 3-4 years old.

But you can try to start studying with this developmental book with kids 2 years old. Perhaps your child will be interested in classes, and he will solve the proposed problems with interest.

We got to the most important thing - to how the process of teaching mathematics to a baby takes place according to this manual. Let me tell you how it happened for us.

My daughter was 2.5 at the time. The book is recommended for children from 3 years old, but we decided to try it.

At the very beginning of the book, it seemed to us that the tasks were somewhat difficult, so I advise parents to carefully study the book first, and only then offer the child to complete a specific task.

The very first we chose the task on the topic "a lot-little". Cheerful and bright illustrations allowed the child to be sincerely interested in the task. The daughter really began to think ... and, of course, at first she did not quite cope with the task. But further is better. She began to understand the meaning of the question, and to find the right answer.

So, dear parents, do not immediately get upset if the child is difficult at first. Look in the same book for other tasks and offer them to your baby. It may be worth starting with the topic "big and small" - it is also the most understandable for the very first lessons.

The study of numbers is a necessary activity for children of 3–4 years of age. The ability to count will allow the baby to easily master the school curriculum. Classes improve visual and auditory memory, help the development of logical thinking. Parents of preschoolers are required to know how to properly teach their child numbers at 3-4 years old.

What time do you introduce your child to numbers?

At 3-4 years old, the child should know the numbers from 1 to 5. With regular classes, some kids master these skills at 2-2.5 years old. At this time, they learn to memorize numbers; at 3 years old, they already count in direct and reverse order, solve simple problems.

Necessary mathematical skills of a preschooler at 4 years old:

knowledge of numbers from 0 to 9;
the ability to count in direct and reverse sequence;
knowledge of quantitative and ordinal numbers, their correct use in speech;
the ability to name which number comes “before” and “after”;
identification of numbers by type, the skill of their correct spelling;
ability to arrange in order from 0 to 9 and from 9 to 0.

If a preschooler does not have the necessary skills by the age of 4, it is important to interest him in playing in the form of games and fill the gap.

Where to teach?

Often parents believe that there is no need to deal with the child at home. This point of view is wrong. In kindergartens, collective mathematics lessons are held, where kids learn new information. Due to the large number of preschoolers, the teacher will not consolidate the knowledge of everyone. This role belongs to the parents.

Coming home, the kid with interest shares with mom and dad the knowledge that he received in kindergarten. The task of parents is not to miss this moment and direct his aspirations in the right direction.

If it is not possible to study at home, there are developing lessons for the smallest, where an experienced teacher conducts math classes in a playful way, paying attention to each preschooler.

It is important for parents to choose a place for additional education of the child. The home version is more suitable for shy preschoolers: the familiar environment increases the absorption of information.

Lesson Basics

It is important for children to understand why they study numbers. The task of parents is to explain to the baby about the need to acquire counting skills. Before starting a mathematics course, he must learn the basics. This can be easily achieved by following the guidelines below.

We count everything. In everyday habitual communication with a preschooler, it is necessary to count objects at every opportunity, involving him in the process.
Purchase counting sticks for home use. When reading a book or watching a cartoon, give the child simple tasks (for example, set aside as many sticks as there are heroes in a fairy tale).
Show your child what the numbers look like and lay out the required number of counting sticks.
When the preschooler understands the purpose of the numbers, you need to regularly play the "Guess the number" game. The host thinks of a number and gives a hint which numbers are larger and which are smaller. The goal of the player is to name her. A parent can be both a leader and a participant. Children love riddles. It develops logical thinking.

Ability to count quickly

With regular classes (in addition to lessons in kindergarten), a preschooler acquires the skill of quick counting. There are exercises to help develop it.

Learning "greater than, less than or equal to". The preschooler is invited to choose a card with any number, count the required number of counting sticks, arrange them into 2 piles (equally). This will introduce the child to the composition of numbers and help to remember what numbers each consists of.
Logic lessons will develop memory and thinking. The parent conceives riddles for the child to solve. This method involves mental functions. After such a charge, the numbers are easy to remember.

Consolidation of the studied material

The acquired knowledge needs constant repetition. An effective way is to invite the child to play in a school where he is a teacher, and the parent is a student.

The preschooler tells everything he has learned. Mom asks leading questions. This exercise will help identify gaps in mathematical knowledge and compensate for them. If he stumbles on the number 3, then the next time we go through it.

healthy interest

It is important for the kid to show a desire to study mathematics. It is unacceptable to force to study by force. It is important for parents to instill in him a healthy interest. All lessons should be conducted in a playful way. It is advisable to introduce incentives. This will motivate you to keep learning.

Lesson duration

At 3-4 years old, preschoolers do not have perseverance and quickly get tired doing the same thing. The correct duration of a lesson at this age is 30 minutes. If the session lasts longer, take a break for tea or exercise. In these cases, it is divided into 2 blocks with "related" tasks. The break will help the kids to realize the knowledge gained and consolidate them in the next part of the lesson.

Cramming will not help develop math skills. For correct counting, a preschooler needs understanding.
Homework provides an opportunity to quickly and easily consolidate the material received.
It is unacceptable to force a preschooler to do mathematics. It is better to develop a healthy interest.
All lessons for kids should take place only in a playful way, which will improve the absorption of information.

Article author: Ekaterina Laukhina

Babies start counting much earlier than most people think. 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 mistakes specially made by adults related to numbers.

Therefore, the first games to introduce the child to the score 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 that connect numbers comes a little later - between 3 and 5 years. Learning to count begins in infancy: evidence from 18 month olds’ visual preferences. It is this age that is considered optimal for the beginning of meaningful mathematical studies.

10 easy and fun ways to teach your child to count

1. Use digital examples more often in speech

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By the age of 3-5, the baby is already developing a good vocabulary and is curious about words that are still incomprehensible. The more often numbers will sound in your speech (“It’s time to wake up: it’s already eight!”, “We are waiting for tram number 3! And this one is number 11, it doesn’t suit us”, “You are three years old, and Misha is already four from kindergarten”, “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 penetrate the essence.

2. Count wherever possible

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You can count steps. You can count 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." This is important for the baby to understand: numbers are not something abstract, but part of everyday life.

3. Include counting songs with video for your baby

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

On YouTube, for example, there are a lot of counting songs that you can play with your baby on a trip or sing 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 growth

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

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

These are cardboard pictures familiar to many, where the numbers are shown next to the corresponding number of items. For example, 1 might be shown with 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, cards on a magnetic basis can be hung on a magnetized board of a children's easel or on a 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 memory the sequence of counting and understanding what exactly is hidden behind abstract and yet incomprehensible words like “two”, “three” or “nine”.

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Well, so that the kid himself would be interested in messing with cards, there are models “with a secret”. For example, sliding.

The legendary teacher Maria Montessori in her book “My method. A guide to raising children from 3 to 6 years old "said that perhaps the best results in teaching preschoolers to count were shown by classes with money (or their dummies).

I give children one, two or four centime coins, and with their help the kids learn to count to ten. The most practical way to teach children about counting is to show them coins in use, and the most useful exercise is to change money. Such exercises are so closely connected with everyday life that they are of great interest to all children without exception.
Maria Montessori

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

Montessori also considered it necessary to associate mathematics with sensations. It might look like this. Offer the child several brightly colored sticks of different lengths (you can simply pour them on the table) and ask them to choose the longest one by eye. When the kid has made a choice, ask him if he is sure that his wand is a champion? To check, sequentially compare it with others remaining in the common heap. Well, 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 Glenn Doman Method

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The American doctor 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 establishing a connection between numbers and what they stand for. To start, Doman suggested that parents make cards out of cardboard: a number is written on one side (in the case of 2–3-year-old babies, from 1 to 10), and the corresponding number of clearly distinguishable dots is applied to the opposite side.

According to Doman, you need to do mathematics when the child is in a good mood.

Just a couple of minutes is enough for the lesson. Show the baby a map with one dot and clearly say: "One." Then move on to card two, and so on. Do not delay: it should take no more time to demonstrate one card than to pronounce the corresponding number.

In the first lessons, the child should simply observe. No need to ask him to repeat or perform other actions. After showing all the cards, be sure to tell the baby how you love him, how you like him, pat on the head, hug and, if possible, treat him to something tasty: physical encouragement is an important part of the Doman 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 effortlessly learn to count up to 10 and backwards, as well as perform the simplest arithmetic operations: add and subtract. It will be easy for him, because he does not operate with incomprehensible symbols, but with the meaning behind it - the number of objects. For a child of 4–5 years old, this level of mathematical knowledge is quite sufficient.

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

Active development of the child should take place from an early age, therefore, at the age of 3, it is worth starting to learn numbers, using various games, manuals, and didactic materials for this purpose. Depending on the abilities of a particular baby, you can master counting up to 10 or even up to 100, the main thing is that everything is clear to the baby and he enjoys the lessons.

best age

There is a well-known phrase "after three it's too late." Indeed, scientists have proven that babies at 2.5-3 years old have a unique ability to memorize, which weakens with age. Therefore, three-year-olds are quite capable of making their first trip into the world of mathematics and learning numbers, this will help their development and will be an excellent method of preparing for school. In addition, working with didactic materials, such as Kuizener sticks, improves fine motor skills, which, in turn, has a beneficial effect on speech.

That is why the first lessons in arithmetic can be given as early as 3 years old. However, if the baby is not yet ready for this, it is worth giving him time, postponing the start of lessons until 4-5 years old.

Rules for organizing a lesson

To ensure that acquaintance with numbers does not turn into “catharsis” for the baby, the following principles of work should be used.

Learning while playing. Regular guests in the classroom should be toys, dolls, fictional fairy-tale characters.
Praise is the best motivation, and scolding the baby is not worth it. It is important for parents to remember that the child does not understand why adults are unhappy with him, because he really tried. This attitude can permanently kill his desire for learning. Therefore, strictness should be forgotten.
Classes should be conducted continuously, so you can place large bright cards with numbers, number series on the wall in the baby's room. The main thing is that the pictures should contain not only the number itself, but also the amount indicated by it. For example, a deuce and two oranges.
Combine different activities. So, modeling figure-figures from dough or plasticine not only helps their assimilation, but also contributes to the development of fine motor skills.
You should not overload the baby with new knowledge, for one day of acquaintance with one new number is enough. When he has learned to clearly imagine that 1 is one subject, and 7 is seven, you can start learning to count.

Compliance with these simple rules will help parents not only convey useful knowledge to the crumbs, but also enjoy the lesson itself and communication.

Stages of the learning process

It is not easy to teach a child numbers, this matter should be approached carefully and seriously - so arrange the work in such a way as to follow the logic “from simple to complex”.

There are several stages of work.

Acquaintance. The parent prepares the material in advance: a card, which shows, for example, one or two, selects the required number of identical items. After that, he explains that “today we are getting acquainted with the number “One”, it denotes one object. Here, look, there's only one bear." How many bears do you see?
Memorization. Offer the child various tasks that will help him remember what the unit looks like and what it means. Let's help him a little. Tasks should be of two types: first, those that help to correlate the number with a specific amount, and then those aimed at remembering the appearance of the number.
Consolidation. The next "portion" of tasks that the baby must already complete completely independently.
New material.

The connection with the past should be emphasized, show one bear and ask how many bears the child sees, then put up the second one, say that there are now two bears. You should not overload the child, acquaintance with each subsequent figure should be carried out only when the previous one is well learned. If parents do not have the opportunity to buy the same toys, cards, sweets, fruits, vegetables will come to the rescue. When deciding where to start, the exercises must be selected in such a way that each of them is accessible to the baby.

Teaching materials

Due to their variety, games with specially designed sets, such as Cuisener's sticks, are suitable for children from 3 years old to 5 years old. You can choose those options that best correspond to the level of development of the crumbs.

For kids, tasks according to the following templates are suitable.

Find three yellow sticks.
How many sticks do I show?
Find two blue sticks and four yellow ones. What more?
The parent lays out a square of sticks, and then asks: how many sticks did I use to create the figure? The opposite task is also possible: fold the figure using only 5 (or any other number) sticks.

Mom shows a card, the child's task is to understand what number is shown on it, and find its pair - another card on which the required number of objects is drawn.
Then vice versa - the mother chooses a card, for example, with two bears, the child must find a pair for her - "2".
Mom shows a card with three hares and asks the child to find the number of items in the apartment that is shown in the picture. The preschooler can bring her three apples.

Expert Opinion

Tanya Okhrimenko, educational psychologist: It's great to learn numbers with a child in a game. And you can do it not only at home. For example, going up the stairs and counting the steps. The main thing is that if the child does not remember them, do not worry, let a little time pass and everything will be fine with him. For example, what a child remembers for weeks at 3 years old, at 5 he will be able to remember in a matter of minutes if he wakes up with “cognitive interest”.

You can buy these cards or make your own.

For preschoolers who are well versed with the top ten, you can also use Zaitsev's number tape, which is a series of numbers from 1 to 99. You can place it on the wall so that the manual is always in front of your eyes. Tasks may vary.

An adult describes the number: two tens, three units. The task of the child is to understand that we are talking about 23, and show the number on the tape.
Whose number is greater. Mother and child each take one card with numbers written on it. The child must understand whose number is more important, and then find both on the tape.
Find the age of each family member on Zaitsev's tape.

All this will help to form the correct idea of the numbers among preschoolers.

Variety of exercises

There are a large number of exercises, the implementation of which will help a 3-year-old kid get acquainted with numbers, remember what they look like and what amount they mean. Some of them can be used at the age of 4 years. You need to start with what the child knows well.

Sample. Mom puts a dish in front of the child on which fruit or sweets lie, and asks him to dial, for example, three pieces (for example, “give mom three sweets”). The second version of the task - the mother herself puts aside a certain amount of sweets and asks the child to count them, and then say how many sweets are in the pile.
Find a number. An adult asks a preschooler to show him all the units that are presented on a pre-prepared poster. This will help the baby remember what the number looks like.
Find a couple. The parent prepares two series of pictures: one shows large numbers, the other shows illustrations for fairy tales familiar to children. For example, two Ivans, three bears, seven Simeons, and so on. The child's task is to match the picture and the number.
Count your fingers(after meeting the five).
The plot-thematic game "Houses". The parent draws a certain number of houses on a piece of paper in advance and asks the child to bring as many toys so that all of them can be “populated” and not a single empty house is left.
Mushroom game. The parent places “mushrooms” (pictures, cubes) in the room in advance, the child takes a basket with him and goes out to collect, finding the first one, he says “one”, the second - “two”, and so on.

There are a lot of games, so every day you should offer your child something new. You can also study at the computer, asking the baby to count the number of objects on the screen.

Use of various forms of work

To make it easier for the baby to remember the numbers, it is important to visualize each of them. There are several ways to do this.

Print large pictures that depict the material being studied, and it is desirable that each number looks interesting, unusual (for example, a deuce in the form of a snake). Invite the child to color the picture with bright pencils, felt-tip pens, paints.
Another similar task is a coloring book, which shows a designated number (for example, five kittens) and there is a five next to it. The child paints the picture itself and the number, gradually memorizing. Over time, the task can be complicated: there is only a certain number of objects in the picture (4 apples), the kid paints them and prepares for the parent how many of them, what number to enter.
The child will be happy to complete this task: he will look for familiar numbers everywhere - on the street in the numbers of houses, buses, cars, on billboards. Impatient parents will be annoyed by this desire, and wise mothers and fathers themselves will offer the baby a fun task - who will find more twos or ones during the walk. And, of course, an adult must definitely lose.

In order for the child to quickly comprehend the basics of counting, one should constantly say counting rhymes with numbers to him, for example: “One-two-three-four-five, we are going for a walk with you.” Such a simple text can be spoken before each walk, after a few times the child will be able to repeat it himself. Board games will also be useful: by throwing a die and counting the required number of steps on the playing field, the child will quickly learn to count.

Learning numbers with children at 3-4 years old is a very real task, but you will have to show imagination by offering crumbs all new exercise options. Patience is also extremely important, because it will not be possible to carry out the plan the first time - perhaps some number will have to be given several classes. And this is normal, because each baby has its own level of development.