In my previous blog, I discussed how to teach identifying numbers (number names and their symbols) to a young child. Now in this blog, I am going to discuss how to associate numbers with their quantity.
Here is a famous quote from Dr. Maria Montessori
“The hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence”
That means what you do with your hands, registers in your mind. So learn by doing, and engaging in multi-sensory exploration gives a child a better understanding.
Learning numbers is not the same as learning alphabets as they have some quantity associated with them. As the child already learned to say the numbers and recognizes the written numbers. Now it’s time to associate numbers with their quantity. Let’s see how to do so. For this, you can use beads, small erasers, buttons or any object which are countable, easy to handle by a child and easily available at your home, along with number cards. In place of the number cards, you can use wooden numbers or plastic ones. Now I am going to share three activities of associating numbers with their quantity.
Activity 1
In this activity, you will need cards that have a number on it and also enough space to keep that many objects (beads, buttons, erasers etc. ). Show the child how to trace the number one and say it “this says one”. Count the object into the sub-dominant hand, close hand over the object, feel the quantity and say “this is one”. Place the object on the card. Count again while keeping it on the card. Ask the child to follow the similar procedure for other numbers. This activity helps the child to see and feel rising quantities as numbers increase.
Activity 2
This activity is divided into two parts. For the first part, you will need a box with compartments numbered 0 to 4 and 10 sticks. For the second, you will need a box with compartments numbered 5 to 9 and 35 sticks.
Place the first box on the table or mat. Also, place the sticks to the right of the box. Show the child how to point the number one and say “this says one”. Count stick into the sub-dominant hand, close hand over the stick, feel the quantity and
say “this is one”. Place one stick into the compartment marked 1. Ask the child to follow the similar procedure up to 4. When 1 to 4 numerals are completed, point to 0 and say “This says 0”. Show the child that there are no sticks remaining and say “ There are no sticks remaining.” Point the compartment marked 0 and say “It is empty. Zero means none.” This activity helps the child to understand the concept of zero.
Once the child is comfortable with the box that has the compartments numbered 0 to 4. Follow a similar procedure with the box that has the compartments numbered 5 to 9.
Activity 3
In this activity, you will need a set of numbers from 1 to 10 and 55 objects (you can also use small erasers, beads, buttons, etc.). Ask the child to place all the numerals in sequence on the table or mat (you can use number cards, wooden numbers or plastic ones). Show the child how to point the first number and say “this says one”. Count the object into the sub-dominant hand, close hand over the object and say, “this is one”. Place the object under number one. Ask the child to follow the similar procedure for other numbers. Note, ask the child to place the objects in pairs (as shown in picture).
Later on, with this activity, you can teach your child about odd and even numbers. If the number has a single object at the bottom like 1, 3, 5, etc., it is called odd and if the number does not have a single object at the bottom like 2, 4, 6, etc., it is called even.
In all the activities, Counting the objects into subdominant hand and close hand around objects gives the child a better understanding that the quantity increases with the increase of number.
Memory Game
Once the child is very familiar with the numbers through 10 and their quantities, ask the child to pick a small, folded piece of paper with a hidden number on it. Set up collections of materials around the room, such as erasers, crayons, color pencils, paper clips, cotton balls, and buttons. Allow the child to open his secret number. Tell him which type of object to collect. Then the child will go and get the number of objects stated in his paper. This activity supports the child to remember the given number and its associated quantity. Do this activity frequently. It will reinforce the child to identify the number and associate the number with the quantities that the number represents. It will help the child to count on his own.
A small child’s brain has difficulty grasping abstract concepts, such as the association between a number and an object. All the above activities will help your child to develop concepts for the larger quantities and prepare him for abstraction.
Thanks for reading …for other interesting blogs and videos please refer
Learning Re-imagined
Please refer my video
Boost Your Brain 