Perhaps you should start after a year. Of course, in order to understand how to teach a child to count, you yourself need to understand that at two years old a child will not count to a hundred, unless he memorizes everything like a verse. However, there is a step-by-step learning scheme. If you follow it, then there will be no problems in studying the account. The main thing, as you know, is to start, and then it's up to the technique.

First step

In order to develop fine motor skills fingers of the baby, it is necessary to play with him in the traditional "Kui-kui slipper" and "Magpie-crow" even before the year. You can also read different rhymes and counting rhymes to your child, but you should not focus his attention on numbers. At this stage, he should understand that playing with his parents is fun and exciting. In fact, this stage is a prologue before training.

Second step

When the baby turns the first year, you need to start getting acquainted with the concept of "a lot". It is very good to learn it on the example of nesting dolls. First we show one, and then we take out the rest, telling that there are a lot of them. Can be placed on a shelf small toys, in the hand - one, and on the shelf - a lot. The method works well when the child first gives you one toy, and then a lot. At the same time, you should focus his attention on this. Do not forget to praise your son or daughter every time after class, but do not insist if your child has lost interest in the game - let him do something else.

Third step

Now let's put everything that can be compared into action. It is necessary to offer the child things of different sizes - large and small, or a teaspoon and a tablespoon. Consider the option for a girl and complicate the task. For example, one doll lives in one house, and many in the second. Two dolls went to visit a friend, and there were fewer of them in the second house. Now in the second house there are two more dolls. For boys, of course, not dolls are more suitable, but garages with cars. If your kid is interested in doing this, count together how many cars or dolls are in the garage or house.

Fourth step

At this age, the child is already learning to understand what number is comparable to a certain number of objects. How to teach a child to count correctly? To do this, you will need picture cards on which numbers and, for example, animals will be drawn. This is where visual perception plays an important role. It's time to introduce the child to the numbers: we show a card with the number three and a card with three cats, a card with the number two and two Christmas trees, and so on. At the same time, when introducing numbers up to ten, it is imperative to show them on your fingers, explaining that one looks like a thin little man, and two looks like a swan. Currently, a lot of cards with modified images of animals, trees are being sold that will help in learning. At this stage, we are learning to count to ten and back in this way.

Fifth step

The child is going to school soon, so you need to understand the quantitative meaning of numbers. We explain that the number "three" consists of three ones, five - of five ones, and so on up to ten. Also, the child needs to be taught which number is larger and which is smaller, which one is ahead and which one is behind. This can be done on a number line, which is sold in many children's stores. In order to solve puzzles for one action in the style of "where more, where less" and "how much", you can purchase board games called "Dots" or "Count".

Following these simple steps, you will gradually teach your child to count and make more complex mathematical decisions. How to teach a child to count? Examples are given below:

• Always consider only what the child will be interested in - trees, crows, benches in the park, cars or crows. In general, it all depends on the individual child.
• Never start learning with numbers - develop your baby's thinking and imagination.
• Count blindly. For example, putting several cars in a bag or bag, ask the baby to put his hand in there and count the number of items without pulling them out.
• Don't forget about counting rhymes and others sport games associated with numbers. Take note. That the count should begin with the word “one”, and not “one”, as is customary in most cases. Thus, you can confuse the child.
• Make sure that the baby’s count does not get ahead of his actions when he points with his finger at objects. He must do everything at the same time, or point the finger first, and then speak.
• Do not introduce your child to the number zero until the age of four. When he already knows the count to ten, you can put a lot of toys on the table, then remove them and say: "This is zero - there is nothing left on the table."
• The main sign of a child's readiness for school is the moment when he can count all the objects without touching them, and also without repeating the numbers.

But how to teach a child to count quickly if you need to go to school soon, and there are some problems with the concepts of elementary mathematics? To do this, you need to constantly engage with the baby and solve with him simple tasks related to adding and subtracting numbers. For example, invite him to imagine in his mind how many cats there will be if there were four of them in the basket, and later another one came to them. When you ask such a question, the child begins to add invisible objects to visible objects, which develops his computing abilities (even better if you really have kittens in the house). In another case, you can take anything for training, for example, the same cars. Please note if the baby does not understand how to add new item to existing ones, do not scold or criticize him. We need to simplify the task. How to do it? Ask how many kittens will be if the fifth one comes to them? This technique will help your child realize that you need to add “one” to the number four, and there will be five kittens. So, you need to call the next number.

To learn addition more clearly, first try to orient the child to the number five. Try to teach him to find how much is missing from five, and vice versa, how many more than five. The fact is that children represent numbers up to five in their minds, and everything after - as a sum of numbers.

Now you know the most common methods for teaching a child to count. Start even before the age of one with the simplest exercises to develop the baby's motor skills and thinking, and he will go to school, being able to count and write.

How to start learning mathematics with children?
It is necessary to begin the study of mathematics with the development of counting skills.
At what age should children start learning mathematics?
From the age of six months, you can start learning mathematics with your child.
Development of counting skills
The basis of the foundations of mathematics is the concept of number. However, the number, as, indeed, almost any mathematical concept, is an abstract category. Therefore, it is often difficult to explain to a child what a number is.
How to explain to a child what a number is?
You can, for example, read children's poems, and some of them memorize. The counting rhymes are especially useful as a basis for subsequently mastering the concept of number. For example:
One, two -
Let's go for firewood
or
One two Three -
Look at mom.
Long before the baby tells you that he has three beads, he will be able to recite these nursery rhymes. He learns to pronounce the names of numbers and recognizes their group features before he encounters the true meaning of numbers.
Counting sticks can be used to parse numbers. Have your child place two sticks on the table. Ask how many sticks are on the table. Then spread the sticks on two sides. Ask how many sticks on the left, how many on the right. Then take three sticks and also lay them out on two sides. Take four sticks and let the child separate them. Ask him how else to arrange the four sticks. Let him change the arrangement of the counting sticks so that one stick lies on one side and three sticks on the other. In the same way, sequentially parse all the numbers within ten. The higher the number, the more parsing options, respectively.
It is very useful to compare pictures that have both common and different. It is especially good if the pictures will have a different number of objects. Ask your child how the drawings are different. Ask him to draw a different number of objects, things, animals, etc.
You can count anything - steps, eaten spoons of porridge, fingers and toes.
Pay attention to what is happening around the child: on a walk, on the way to the store, etc. Ask questions, for example: “Are there more boys or girls here?”, “Let's count how many benches are in the park”, “Show me which the tree is tall, and which is the lowest”, “How many floors are in this house?”. Etc.
Try not only to name numbers, but also, if possible, to introduce elements of addition and subtraction. For example, there are 4 flights of stairs at the entrance, you are on the top floor. Accompany the passage of each floor with words - we have 4 stairs, 2 we have passed, 2 are still left ... 3 passed - left ...

Counting games
Balls and buttons
The concepts of spatial arrangement are easily assimilated in the game with the ball: the ball is overhead (above), the ball is at the feet (below), throw to the right, throw to the left, back and forth. The task can be complicated: you throw the ball with your right hand to my right hand, and the left hand - to my left. In action, the baby learns many important concepts much better.
It is much more difficult for him to correctly position objects on a plane. For this exercise, take any flat figures(for starters, for example, a square) and flat buttons. Put a square of thick paper on the table, give the baby a few buttons (5 large and 8 small). Let him, according to your instructions, put the buttons in the right place. For example: “Place a large button in the middle, another one under the square, also in the middle, another one above the square in the middle, one on the right in the middle, one more on the left in the middle.”
If the child coped with this task, proceed to the next task. Now you need to expand the small buttons. One - in the upper right corner (we explain what the corner is on the right, top), the second - in the upper left corner, etc. If this task was completed without errors, we proceed to an even more difficult one. "Put the small button over the big button that lies above the card (under the card)." Options: to the right of the large button that lies to the right of the card; to the left of the large button that lies to the left of the card, etc. The difficulty increases gradually, from lesson to lesson, but in no case during one lesson! If the child begins to experience difficulties, return to a simpler task: this is a temporary situation.
Is it far?
Walking with your child, choose some object at a close distance from you, for example, a ladder, and count how many steps are up to it. Then choose another object and also count the steps. Compare the distances measured in steps - which one is greater? Try to guess with your child how many steps it will take to get to a nearby object. You can walk to a place with normal steps, then turn around and see how many fewer steps you need if you walk back with giant steps.
In mathematics, it is not the quality of objects that is important, but their quantity. Operations with numbers themselves are still difficult and not entirely clear to the baby. However, you can teach your child to count specific subjects. The child understands that toys, fruits, objects can be counted. At the same time, objects can be counted “between times”. For example, on the way to Kindergarten you can ask the child to count the objects you meet along the way.
It is known that the execution of a small homework the baby likes it very much. Therefore, you can teach your child to count while doing homework together. For example, ask him to bring you a certain amount of any items you need for the case. In the same way, you can teach your child to distinguish and compare objects: ask him to bring you a large ball or a tray that is wider.
It is very important to teach the child to distinguish the location of objects in space (in front, behind, between, in the middle, on the right, on the left, below, above). For this you can use different toys. Arrange them in a different order and ask what is in front, behind, next, far, etc. Consider with the child the decoration of his room, ask what is up, what is down, what is right, left, etc.
The child must also learn such concepts as many, few, one, several, more, less, equally. During a walk or at home, ask the child to name objects that are many, few, one object. For example, there are many chairs, one table; many books, few notebooks.
Mosaic
Of course, a baby at the age of three is not yet able to use the mosaic for its intended purpose - to lay out patterns or pictures according to the model - and nevertheless, he may well play with the mosaic. First, show your child how to use it - it's not so easy for a two-year-old baby. Let him lay out the parts in any order until he gets bored (this is a great exercise for developing the hands).
The next task may be more difficult: arrange the mosaic elements on the same line or at a certain interval between them. It requires not only the dexterity of the fingers, but also the eye (the sample is given by adults). You can lay out several such lines so that they differ in color: after all, even if the child does not name the colors yet, he is able to select one of them and pick up other objects of the same color to it (in this case mosaic elements). Completing this task will help develop fine motor skills of the fingers, an eye, the ability for elemental analysis and synthesis. Along the way, the baby will learn to quickly name and remember colors. But be careful: the details of the mosaic are very small and can be dangerous for the baby, so do not leave him alone even for a minute, and after playing, carefully put everything in the box.
Learning to count on the fingers "Fingermatics"
The most versatile tool for teaching mathematics is fingers. To introduce the kid to the account, nothing is easier to come up with.
Every evening, after the usual evening bath, when the mother begins to wipe, process and prepare the child for bed, the “assistant” should show numbers on her fingers and call them loudly and joyfully: “One!”, “Two!”, “Three!” etc.
Usually the child stops tossing and turning, acting up, not looking up, follows the “finger-numbers” and smiles. Mom is extremely pleased and without interference, puts the baby to sleep within a few minutes.
The path of mankind to the decimal system, in which we will count with you and with the baby, goes precisely from the fingers of man. Start with one pen. Count your fingers, hide a few and count how many are left. Hide everything and get acquainted with the concept of zero. Separate one finger from another and find out that five is one and four, two and three. Then start adding the second handle. One finger of the left hand came to visit the fingers of the right - and there were six fingers. Then another one came to them, and there were seven of them, and so on. Or let two or three fingers come at once, and you find out how many there were.
It is best to read nursery rhymes when manipulating your fingers.
squirrels
One, two, three, four, five
The squirrels came to play. (show five fingers)
One has gone somewhere, (Hide your hand behind your back)
Four squirrels left. (show four fingers)
Now look quickly (Hide your hand behind your back)
There are already three left. (show three fingers)
Well, well, what a pity (Hide your hand behind your back)
We only have two left. (show two fingers)
This news is so sad (Hide your hand behind your back)
There was only one white. (show one finger)

Then say:
While you and I were counting
The squirrels ran away from us.
Talk to your baby about where the squirrels might go to take a nap, look for food, and so on.
five bears
Read a poem. Raise one finger after reading the first line. Raise the next finger each time another bear appears in the course of the action.
One bear at the table was eating a cutlet,
But then, out of nowhere, another suddenly came running,
They became two.
He began to take away the cutlet, he also wanted to eat,
But another one came running and ate all the cutlets.
There were three of them.
Three stupid little bears wanted to close the door,
But the door opened and another beast burst in.
There were four of them.
Four little bears found a swarm of bees
Another bear ran in and raised a loud howl.
There were five of them.
The bees bite in earnest and all the bears ran away.
On the last line, hide your hand behind your back.
This house has five floors:
On the first floor lives a family of hedgehogs,
On the second lives a family of rabbits,
On the third - a family of red squirrels,
On the fourth, a tit lives with chicks,
On the fifth, an owl is a very smart bird.
Well, it's time for us to go back down:
On the fifth owl
On the fourth tit
Belchata on the third
Bunnies - the second,
On the first hedgehogs, we will come to them.
Two bears
Sitting two bears
On a thin bitch.
One interfered with sour cream,
The other kneaded flour.
One Cookie, Two Cookies
They both fell into the dust!
Nose in flour, mouth in flour.
Ear in sour milk!
Five fingers
There are five fingers on my hand
Five graspers, five holders.
To plan and to saw,
To take and to give.
They are easy to count:
One, two, three, four, five!
(Rhythmically squeeze and unclench the fists. On the count - alternately bend the fingers on both hands.)
Naughty rhyme
How many fingers do we have?
Let's count?
This is one!
Are we bending?
This is two!
Are we continuing?
Three four...
Where is the fifth?!
In - look!
We continue to another:
Here is the sixth, seventh, eighth...
Bang bang oh oh oh!!!
Yes, the ninth - he is!
How many fingers are there?
Exactly ten! Oh-hoo!!
(Hands bent at the elbows, fingers spread out and twisted with the hands in different directions.
We bend the fingers on the other hand with one hand. On the fifth finger we show the sign "In!" (fingers in a fist, large bent).
We pass to the other hand and bend again, starting from the little finger. When we bend the eighth finger, we get a “gun” from which we shoot.
Very small ones bend their fingers with the other hand, and who succeeds, bend their fingers without help.
The last lines are the same as on the first line).
Counting about fingers
One, two, three, four, five!
Let's count fingers!

Finger went for a walk
I ate a large bun with poppy seeds.
This fat gentleman
Finger number one!

This finger went to the forest,
I found honey in a big hollow.
Escaped from the bees
Nice finger number two!

This finger walks in the sea
On a steamboat.
In the storm on deck, look!
Courageous finger number three!

This finger is our strongman:
Like a light baby ball
He throws weights!
Finger number four!

And the last one is a cute baby,
Quietly sit by the window
To read a book.
Little finger number five!

One, two, three, four, five!
We have learned to count!
Author: Irina Gurina
* * *
Sing along, sing along:
Ten birds - a flock.
This bird is a nightingale
This bird is a sparrow.
This bird is an owl
Sleepy head.
This bird is a waxwing
This bird is a corncrake
This bird is a bird
Gray feather.
This one is a finch.
This one is a haircut.
This one is a merry siskin.
Well, this one is an evil eagle.
Birds, birds go home!
(Bending or stroking fingers)
Author: Nina Stozhkova
* * *
My brother will be five soon.
I teach him to count
He doesn't want to study.
This is where I came up with something.
I say: give me your hand
Will you count the bunnies -
One, two, three, four, five.

These fingers are bunnies.
The first one hid somewhere.
We bend a finger - once.
How many do we have now?

Brother spread his hand
And he answered suddenly: - four.
Well done. Capable boy.
We bend the finger again.

How many of them now - look?
Brother counts: - one ... two ... three ...
The third hare suddenly disappeared:
The prankster ran into the forest.

Our bunny barely hid,
My brother is already shouting to me: - two!
We left everything
How many fingers? -
One. -
And then this bunny
Laid down on the side of the bed.
We bend the fifth finger,
Now what's left?
Sly brother looks, laughs:
- It remains ... a fist.
Little bunny
Mother and child stand facing each other, holding hands. The adult says to the kid: "Show how big you are." Gently pulls him up by the arms. “That's how big!
Now show how small the bunny (any toy) is (sits down and pulls the child down by the arms). Little bunny."
Repeats the same actions while reading a poem by N. Pikuleva.
That's how big we are
Raises the child's hands.
Not tiny
Squats with the child, showing hands low above the floor.
Like this, like this
Stands up, raising the baby's arms up.
Here are the little ones.
Dragons flew
Two are playing. Standing face to face, they stretch their arms forward so that one of the palms of each is between the two palms of the partner. The players take turns pronouncing a word of the verse, clapping their partner’s palm in time with each word:
Dragons flew, ate donuts.
How many donuts did the dragons eat?
The one who has the turn to answer, together with the clap, calls any number, for example, three. The partner starts the countdown: "One!" (clap) - "Two!" (answer clap) - "Three!". When calling the last number, the one whose hand is currently “under attack” must remove it as quickly as possible so that the clap does not reach the goal.
The above exercises at first glance are quite primitive, but, firstly, they are designed for children from six months to two years. And secondly, it is precisely such simple rhymes that are easier to remember by kids and give the latter a lot of pleasure.

Many children hear the phrase: “When you go to school, they will teach you to count.” However, taking into account modern requirements for entering the initial link educational institution, without basic knowledge in the account, the child will simply not be accepted to school.

Requirements for entering the first grade of the school

Parents should give their child the basic knowledge necessary to enter school.

The standard of education, according to which all schools in the post-Soviet space operate, is undergoing significant changes from year to year. And with each revision, it becomes more and more strict to the knowledge and skills that a child must possess before the first grade. Counting is one of the key skills that a baby should have. So, future first graders should

• Know what the numbers from 1 to 10 look like;
• Perform addition and subtraction within 10;
• Have an idea of ​​the main geometric shapes(square, circle, triangle);
• Understand what “more”, “less”, “equally” means;
• Be able to compare the width, quantity and thickness of objects.

The task of parents is to help the child understand the logic of simple arithmetic operations.

Game Methods

Remembering numbers should be systematic and visual at first.

It is difficult for an adult to imagine that an elementary sequence of numbers can cause bewilderment: why after 9 comes 10 and not 11. But for children, this is really incomprehensible. Therefore, memorizing numbers and performing simple mathematical operations should be systematic and visual at first. Psychologists advise starting classes after reaching the age of one. From this period, children begin to perceive abstract concepts. At first, nursery rhymes and counting rhymes are perfect. For example, a rhyme about a white-sided magpie that cooked porridge will not only help you learn the order of numbers from one to five. Educators also recommend:

• As often as possible, count objects that are in the field of view of the baby (toys, benches on the playground, steps in the entrance, etc.);
• To conduct classes not only individually with your child, but also to attract children in the yard (thus, a spirit of rivalry arises, which plays a big role in learning everything new from kids);
• Introduce the concepts of "little" and "many" (invite the baby to identify a large and small toy, or compare which plate has more cookies);
• For fans of a scientific approach to child development, you can purchase a set of Kuizener sticks (this didactic material not only helps to teach counting, but also introduces the child to the shapes of objects and shades of colors);
• You can remember how the numbers look by constantly drawing the child's attention to the numbers of cars or houses that regularly meet on your way.

Techniques for teaching oral counting

There is a technique that allows game form to achieve from the baby the assimilation of the basics of counting.

Already in the first weeks of the first grade, the baby will have to cope with the task of elementary mental counting, without the use of sticks or fingers. Therefore, parents need to introduce the child to the simplest mathematical operations. There is a special technique that allows the child to learn the basics of counting in a playful way. The essence of this method is as follows: with the help of constant repetition, the baby gets acquainted with the numbers from 1 to 5, from 1 to 8 and from 1 to 10. At the same time, the assimilation of addition and subtraction occurs simultaneously with the memorization of numbers.

• To master the numbers from 1 to 5, it is recommended to use your child's favorite toys. To begin with, count them - it will be easier for the baby to remember the names of the numbers by association with the name of the toy. Then offer to put them one by one in a box and point out to the child that by adding one, the total increases. You can also show the principle of subtraction.
• Having mastered addition and subtraction, you can attract invisible objects: there are three sweets in your hand. And how many will there be if grandmother gave one more?
• Explain that when the terms are rearranged, the sum does not change: 2+3=5 and 3+2=5. First, show these examples on sweets, and then repeat in your mind.
• To move on to counting up to 8, you need to explain the composition of the number. For example, 4+4=8, or 3+5=8, or 6+2=8. As in the previous cases, first demonstrate the operations visually, and then seek repetition orally.
• Gradually move on to counting up to 10. Take the number 7 as a basis and, using it, show what 10 “consists of”.

The main principle of teaching a child to count is not to rush. The temperament of all babies is different, so some need a couple of days to learn how to count in their minds, and for some, even a month is not enough. Patience and love must be the sure foundation of learning little man.

How to overcome the difficulties that arise

Patience and love is the basis in teaching a child

Mastering any knowledge is not easy for a child and his parents. The main thing is not to lose faith in success and try together to overcome all the difficulties that arise on the way to understanding the world. This principle is also true for mastering the skills of correct oral counting. It often happens that, even knowing how to count, the baby makes a lot of mistakes. In this case, the solution should be constant practice and a number of techniques of experienced teachers:

• Introduce your child to household appliances, such as a thermometer. Let the baby take daily readings of air temperature, and then compare the weather with him and compare the numbers of readings.
• Ask your child to tell the time more often. Complicate the task with such requests, for example: "Tell me what time it will be in 15 minutes."
• Make different figures from a given number of counting sticks.
• Involve fantasy - invent fairy tales and count how many heroes there are in it, how many events happened in the plot, etc.

The German mathematician David Hilbert said about one of his students: "He became a poet - he did not have enough imagination for a mathematician."

It would seem that there is nothing complicated in counting, but the kids completely refuse to understand why after ten comes eleven, and after twenty - twenty-one. They swap the numbers or skip them altogether, driving their parents to despair. “It seems to be not a stupid boy, but he cannot understand such trifles! What will happen next?"

The thing is that the memory of the baby is very selective. Children learn only those things that interested them, made them happy, surprised or frightened them with something. It is unlikely that they will quickly remember something uninteresting in their opinion, even if adults insist on it. Therefore, parents need to interest the crumbs so that he himself wants to deal with the account. In this case, little fidgets will not even notice how easy it will be to count.

Linguists have long noticed that when studying languages, a person most easily masters numerals. If the study of writing and the alphabet needs special conditions, then to learn to count, one does not have to sit at a table with a pencil and a book. You can count everywhere: at home, in transport, on a walk.

How to teach to count to 10?

The child is already two years old, which means it's time to start learning to count. First, teach him to count to five. Walking for a walk, study the number of trees, children on the playground, entrances in the house, cars. Everything can be counted. When dressing the baby, pay attention to the fact that there are only one tights, and there are always two socks, one hat, two boots, and so on. Returning from a walk, be sure to look through all the shoes in the hallway. Let the son or daughter think for themselves about how many people can wear four shoes. When reading a book, do not skip the illustrations. Let the kid tell you the number of drawn balls, puppies, kittens and so on. Also remember that verses are good for teaching counting - small rhymes with rhymes.

Among other things, the baby must realize that he does not just learn to count - he benefits from it. Thus, he now knows how to divide the candies equally. When setting the table, turn to the baby for help, let him give you a certain number of spoons, because there will be such and such a number of people to dine, and not vice versa, for example: “There will be four to dine, because there are four spoons on the table.”

Before you go to the store, tell your baby: We need to buy so many things ... Remember: onions, beets, carrots, potatoes, bread - only five purchases. Remind me, please, otherwise I will suddenly forget something. When listing purchases, bend your fingers, then ask your child to repeat the list. When shopping in a store, if a child forgets to tell you what to buy, ask him yourself: “Do you happen to remember what we need to buy?”. After the purchases are made, be sure to count them.

If suddenly something is missing, check everything together with the child again. The kid, realizing that his mother cannot cope without him, will try to concentrate, and thereby train his skills in counting and auditory memory. If the baby remembered the entire shopping list, then be sure to praise him. Next time, make it harder.

Playing in the store will help to consolidate counting skills. It will be easier to play with kids without money. Three-year-olds, by the way, are more interested in the payment process. At the same time, you can play without using real money, but using the “family currency”: sweets, candy wrappers or buttons. You can encourage the "wise guy" for correct calculations. For example, offer him to divide five candies into three, and let him keep the extra ones.

Digital alphabet

If the child has learned to count, you can go directly to the study of numbers. Usually, kids just memorize the numbers from one to ten. The main thing is that the baby understands that the numbers indicate the number of certain items. Whether it's three kittens, three apples, or three balloons, this is always denoted by one number. Kids really like magnetic numbers and various Velcro books that are attached to the refrigerator, tile or to a special board. If the numbers are always in front of the child's eyes, then he will learn them even imperceptibly to himself.

When the baby learns the numbers from one to ten, then introduce the concept of "zero". To do this, you can invite the child to count what is not. “If we have sweets, then we can count them, and if we ate all the sweets and there was nothing left, then we have “zero sweets”. The word "zero" means "nothing".

Older children (four to five years old) can be explained how numbers are formed. Place ten counting sticks in a row - in ancient times, ten was called "twenty" for short. Put one stick on top (preferably a different color). Thus, "one" by "twenty" is "eleven". Add one stick at a time to the top row and gradually reach twenty. Then explain the formation of tens: two tens will be "twenty-twenty", and three tens will be "thirty-twenty", etc.

The exception is the number forty, in ancient times it meant "a lot" and ninety, meaning "nine to a hundred."

How to teach to count from one to one hundred?

When you teach your baby to count objects from one to a hundred, you do not need to require instant memorization. It is best to move in stages, for example, increase knowledge by a dozen every week. The next day, before starting to study new numbers, you should repeat what was completed yesterday. You can move on only if he has mastered the previous material well. Thus, gradually he will learn to count from one to one hundred. At the same time, it must be remembered that the baby must understand the score, and not memorize it. Mathematics is based on the search for patterns and understanding. The child needs to figure out exactly what principle the numbers are arranged in this way and not otherwise.

To consolidate the material studied, offer your preschooler the following task:

What number is in front of the numbers 5;9;21;46;85;100.

Name the number after the numbers: 8;16;26;57;82;99.

Name the number between the numbers 5 and 7; 11 and 13; 45 and 47.

Find the missing number: 5,6,7,9,10.

If counting to 100 is easy for your child, you can start learning backward counting. It is best to demonstrate it on the fingers, bending them, or on counting sticks. You should start with five. Here, much depends on the characteristics of the baby, namely on what kind of thinking he has better developed: imagination or spatial. It happens that the baby easily makes rather complex mathematical calculations, while the reverse count is difficult for him. Don't press! Show him the countdown with visual examples, for example, when going down in an elevator.

Applied math

These days, first-graders can use a computer and a calculator, but it is quite difficult for them to do mental calculations. The brain, like muscles, needs regular exercise. And oral counting, studied with early childhood well helps the development of mental abilities.

Some parents are sure that their children, especially those under 5 years old, are not yet ready to do mental counting. But readiness for mathematical studies just does not suddenly appear, it is formed. If such readiness is not developed, then it may not manifest itself in any way by the age of ten. Already with three years of age, along with numbers, you can give the baby the first lessons of mathematics. You will be convinced that the results will exceed all your expectations.

You should explain to your daughter or son what “more-less” means. When reading a book, draw your child's attention to the drawing. Invite him to count the images on it: flowers, butterflies, and so on. For example, is a flower enough for each butterfly? Who is more here: flowers or butterflies? When playing dice, be sure to count them. Let the kid demonstrate which cubes are more: small or large, yellow or red, wooden or plastic. At first, it may be difficult for a child to distinguish between such concepts as “a small cube and a large one” and “which cubes are more here”, but there is nothing to worry about.

Main workout

To explain to the baby the concept of “equally”, use examples such as: “Lena has two dolls and Masha also has two. Who has more dolls? Nobody! Because they are equal." Have your child divide four apples equally among two people, six among three, and so on. Then move on to simple logical tasks. For example - four squirrels sit on a branch, each has one nut. How many nuts in total?

Did everything work out? It's time to start mastering elementary mathematical operations: minus, plus, equal. “You have two apples, they gave you another one. Thus, it turned out three apples. It is better to learn to count to 10 on the fingers - this is also useful gymnastics. To add two and four, you need to raise two fingers on one hand, and four on the other and count how many fingers are “open” in total. The same can be done with sweets, toys and counting sticks. It is useless to insist that the baby just remember that five plus three is eight. The child needs to understand the counting mechanism: first you need to find out how much there was, then how much was added, and then how much has become. Explain subtraction in the same way: we calculate how much it was, then how much needs to be subtracted, then how much is left. The following should be remembered here: when adding, it always turns out more than it was, and when subtracting, on the contrary, it becomes less.

Explain to the kid that no matter in what order he puts the objects, the result will be the same. For example, if you first put three apples on the table, then two more pears, then five fruits will lie on the table. And if you first put two pears, and then two apples, you still get five fruits. By this you explain to your child the paramount law of addition "The sum does not change from a change in the places of the terms."

Today is on sale big choice manuals and books on early childhood development. However, before you buy them for your baby, study them very carefully. Examples that include phrases such as "try to guess how much you get" or "determine without counting" should be avoided. Because this is an erroneous approach to mathematical studies. Mathematics, as you know, is an exact science, it does not guess, but calculates. You can not teach children to count using questions such as “guess”, “guess”, because they have ambiguous answers and the baby may think that the correct answer can simply be guessed, and not calculated.

Often, parents of first-graders complain that their children have a humanitarian mindset and they lack the ability to do mathematics. However, you do not need to have special abilities to do mathematics. Mathematical calculations themselves contribute to an increase in mental abilities, develop memory, ingenuity, help to form logical thinking. The sooner you begin to train the brain of the crumbs with the help of mathematical calculations, the faster your efforts will bring good results.

To understand how to teach a child to count, it is worth studying several different methods that are recommended by leading teachers of developing preschool institutions. It will not work to fit the entire number series into the memory of a little man at once. Therefore, each method must be divided into stages, which include several lessons-exercises that allow you to properly teach a child to count.

1) We count in 6 months

Mom needs to start teaching her child to count when he is six months old. At this age, the baby is not yet ready to count numbers, but to game exercises- just right! It is important that during the game the perception of the number of objects and their presence, as well as figurative thinking, develop. Multiple repetition of the games "Magpie-crow", "Fingers went out for a walk", "Okay", etc. help not only to amuse the baby, but also to improve his fine motor skills of hands and fingers.

2) We count in a year

Will tell you how to teach a child to count a game with nesting dolls or toys on the shelf. Turning one large nesting doll into several small ones or placing plush animals on a shelf, you need to explain to the child that at first the figure stands alone, and then there are many of them. This exercise should stimulate the baby's desire to count the figures, but if interest is not observed, then it is better to return to the lesson later - at 2 or 3 years.

3) We count at 4 years

How to teach a child to count and understand the process of counting if he does not know how to compare? A kid who does not understand what is more and what is less can memorize numbers, but he will not be able to apply them correctly and quickly count in his mind. Objects and toys of different sizes will again come to the rescue.

4) We count at 5 years

This stage involves the visualization of numbers. Useful will be cards with the image of numbers and the corresponding number of objects. You can also compare the shape of each number with a similar object: a two-swan, a seven-poker, etc. A good option learn to count well - table "Stoschet" Zaitsev. It helps to correlate the number of circles with the number in the column, and using such a table, you can come up with many interesting exercises: ask to show how old the baby is, how old his relatives are, how many legs the dog has, etc.

5) We count at 6 years old

Having mastered the numbers, you can teach your child to count examples. The kid should know that each number consists of a certain number of "ones", but mathematical operations should be performed with a group of numbers, and not by counting units on the fingers. Before the eyes of the child there should be a number series in order to understand which number is larger and which is smaller. At this age, it is important to teach the child to verbally count the simplest examples in one action.

Consider several options for educational games for preschoolers that will show how to teach a child to count.

Game "Train with matches"

For this game, you will need 9 matchboxes (with matches), nine different colors of paper, paints, double-sided tape, glue, scissors.

This game provides a whole range of exercises in order to learn how to count, make applications, develop finger motor skills and the ability to distinguish colors. First of all, the kid takes out matches from the boxes. These will be the so-called "train passengers".

The "cars" themselves will be 9 matchboxes pasted over with colored paper. They can be made by the baby himself or his mother. Participants in the game will also have to stick numbers on colored cars - numbers from 1 to 9.

The number of passengers corresponding to the figure on the body will ride in each trailer: one match will “ride” in the red wagon, because. It has the number "1" on it. You can also color the match-passengers in the colors that match the car.

The final touch is the placement of "travelers" on the train cars using tape.

Learning to count with the help of the game of "knowledge cubes"

Before you teach your child to count numbers, you should train your child's memory by counting buttons on a shirt or steps on a ladder. However, it is best to cope with learning to count within five digits with the help of “knowledge cubes”. They can be purchased at stationery or toy stores in the amount of 108, 36 in each box.

In addition to the cubes, you need to have cards with numbers from 1 to 5 and a small box, at the bottom of which empty cells will be drawn. The size of each of them should be slightly larger than the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe edge of the cube so that the child can easily place it there.

If it was not possible to buy cubes, you can make them yourself out of paper, and fill them with foam or cereal inside, and then wrap them with tape for strength.

The first step is to figure out how many cubes in a row the baby can immediately count without counting with his finger. To do this, alternately put different number figures side by side in a box.

You need to start the game with the child picking up one cube, placing it in the box on the left and putting a card with the number "1" in front of the box. Then you need to add a second to one cube and ask the baby how many cubes he now sees. When he calls the number "2", then the card with the number "1" will need to be replaced.

The advantages of this method in comparison with counting sticks and counting on fingers is that the child sees the whole picture of figures lined up in a row, and not randomly, of figures and empty cells. This is what helps him to identify these pictures with numbers in the future.

Game with cubes "House for gnomes"

This game helps to prepare for a more difficult stage - learning to count in tens, in particular, learning to add and subtract groups of numbers. "Gnome" is a cube, "house" is a box, and "room" is a cage. The child must bring one gnome into the house, then one by one the rest.

Covering the top of the box with his hand, the adult asks: “How many gnomes will remain in the house if one / two / three leave it? “. The cubes are removed by the baby, and then - for verification - the box is opened.

It is worth doing with a child every day, the duration of the lesson is 15-20 minutes. Thus, the preparation of the baby for school for 6 years is carried out. By this time, he will have developed correct thinking and good numeracy.