The power of 1,2,and 3 is quite powerful, especially for a baby or toddler. When you begin counting one, or two of something, you are giving the child a sense of numbers. It is not the sake of counting, it is the sense of showing quantity. The ways to offer your child a lesson in quantity is to:
1. Count the number of pieces of fruit or cereal you are giving them;
2. Count out loud and with fingers the number of rocks, trees, or plants outside; and
3. Read them books that focus on counting to three, ones that I have are in the picture above.
Counting to one, two, and or three does not seem like a big deal for us, but it is for a baby and toddler. To them, having one nose is a big deal. What do you mean we have two eyes and two ears? But what about one more? What happens in threes? These are all questions to show how to count, point them out, and read about.
Where is this in the Schedule of Activities for 0-18 mos?
Answer:
1. Wednesday -numbers(counting)
Where is this in the Schedule of Activities for 18mos to 3 years?
1. Tuesday-numbers
http://www.learningmathwithmom.com/sites/default/files/ScheduleofActivitiesfor18mosto3yrsofage_0.pdf
Something to Think About:
With our babies, there is so much to learn as this is a great time to get to know the world around them in new ways, especially in number sense. As a parent, though, we might think we need to hurry up on teaching certain things to our children so that they won’t fall behind. This allows us to become more stressed or pressured if our children are not learning at the rate we think they should. No worries….just breathe. Just start counting in front of the babies and be more transparent in your thinking. Say the numbers aloud, the colors aloud, and the shapes aloud. Doing this broadens their bank of vocabulary. Remember that it is that important to know that you are doing a great job!
Thank you, Christina. Great tips!