Understanding through recitation

Young children usually demonstrate memorization skills when they recite numbers or the alphabet in ascending order. Literacy and numeracy require understanding symbols and putting them to use. In counting and calculating, a number represents a specific quantity. Words are formed by combining letters.

Emergence of patterns

A particular arrangement of numerals signifies a particular arithmetical value. Words are created by specific arrangements of letters. It is possible to arrange the same numerals and letters in many different ways with very different meanings. Take the numerals 1, 2, and 3. It is possible to arrange these three numbers into 123, 132, 213, 231, 312, and 321. The letters o, p, and t can be arranged to form opt, pot, or top. Our attention is required when we are making calculations and reading. Reading, writing, and arithmetic skills require us to decipher numbers and letters.

Typical Daily Activities

When we impart information during daily activities, we plant seeds of understanding. There are numerous opportunities provided by dressing. As we put each garment on, naming them and enlisting cooperation is one way to accomplish this. Guiding an arm into a sleeve while saying “let’s put this arm in this sleeve, one arm, one sleeve, there we go” gives meaning to the number one and shows one-to-one correspondence. One is one, whether an arm or a sleeve. The body offers many opportunities for learning words and numbers. From head to toes-two eyes, one nose, two ears, one mouth, two hands, 10 fingers, two feet, 10 toes.

Mother Goose and Finger Play

Nursery rhymes provide early lessons in literacy and numeracy. Thank Mother Goose for “This Little Piggy.”  Jennifer Griffin writing in Humpty Who? provides accompanying finger play that delights infants and toddlers.

This little piggy went to market,

Wiggle baby’s big toe between your thumb and index finger

This little piggy stayed home,

Wiggle second toe.

This little piggy had roast beef,

Wiggle middle toe.

This little piggy had none.

Wiggle fourth toe.

This little piggy went

Wee, wee, wee,

  all the way home.

Wiggle the little toe and then run your fingers up      

the baby’s foot and leg as far as you can get.

At the Supermarket

Young children learn numeracy from everyday activities too. While at the supermarket buying fresh fruit, we can point out the number of bananas in a bunch or count apples as we’re putting them in the produce bag. This shows a child that a number represents a specific, unchanging quantity, regardless of what is being counted, and reenforces the sequence of numbers.

Zero is A Cardinal Number

When we’re learning to count, typically we begin at one. We can see one-to-one correspondence and understand quantity. Yet our cardinal number system starts with zero, and understanding that concept is critical. While shopping for produce, show an empty bag and ask “how many apples are in the bag?” Answer, “zero.” Point out that the bag is empty. Then add an apple, and again ask “how many apples are in the bag now?” When buying number puzzles, choosing one that begins with zero re-enforces the concept of 0: naught, no quantity, no number. When children learn 0 through 9, they’re better able to understand how our number system progresses. Consider Sound Numbers Puzzle from Melissa & Doug. Under every numeral is an illustration of the quantity the number represents.  The space below 0 is blank. This puzzle also shows how easily the numbers zero to nine become 10 to 19. Playing around with the individual numbers creates new ones. Different arrangements, different values.