Learning Numbers

The other day I thought I'd sit Norah down and show her her numbers. Just over the past couple days, she's started saying "teh" after I say "one." So I guess she's saying "two." :) So I figured I'd jump on the natural interest and just start showing her number pictures and flashcards to her.

I have several sets of number flashcards. I have these giant ones as well as a set we're borrowing from a friend that has textured pictures. The number of pictures corresponds to the number. I also have large plastic numbers 0-9. The numbers have the correct number of stickers on each. I set up the giant flashcards (1-5) and placed the plastic numbers on top. I sat her in her high chair at the counter and laid the cards/numbers in front of her, then read them and counted the pictures to her.

I let her hold the cards and numbers. Then I put cheerios over the pictures, 1 on 1, 2 on the 2, etc. I counted and then let her eat them. I had another activity ready in case she showed interest - an empty egg carton with small magnetic numbers in the cups (1-5). In the egg cup above each number I planned to place the correct number of cheerios.

She loves to play with stickers, so I gave her a strip of small stickers and had her put them on a sheet of paper. I counted them as she added stickers to the paper.

The aim is to teach number order, counting, identification of the number name/shape, as well as correspondence of the number name with the quantity.

Although Norah is young now for these concepts, I know the more I just expose her to these, the more she has the chance to pick up. She had fun playing and looking, and after enjoyed stacking the plastic numbers into towers. I put them in her crib later for her to play with at rest time.

I find that if I want her to remain focused on an activity, I have to put her in her high chair or crib or some other space where she is restricted. She does well once in the chair or at the table. And in her crib, she will play for a long time on her own. She just needs the option of distractions minimized by the boundaries.