Numeracy

I also use the High Scope way to teach numeracy. See the Math in High Scope page for more details on the High Scope Math Observation Items.

The children in my care are always encouraged to count, and I consistently count things out aloud.

For example there are 2 steps up to the sink in the bathroom, there are 3 steps up to the changing table, there are 24 small colouring pencils ('Oops, there are only 22 in the box so there are 2 missing...'), there are 3 people for lunch so we need 3 spoons, etc.

It is NOT an abstract way of teaching as in', Now let's count to ten!', which has no meaning to children at all and is like learning a poem by heart. It does not have anything to do with their understanding of numbers.

The number concept is abstract and needs development. The idea that there is a 'number' 1 that you can add to another number' 1 to get a 'number' 2 is actually impossible for very young children to comprehend. First of all, they don't have a concept of the word 'number', and secondly they don't have a number concept, i.e. the idea of numbers as abstract units.

It is much easier for them to count things, i.e. concrete units.

Therefore, we count things whenever we can and do small sums in context when it suits.

Obviously, a lot of the nursery rhymes and children's songs also involve counting (Once I caught a fish alive, Ten green bottles, Five little ducks, Roll over, One man went to mow, This old man, Peter hammers with one hammer, One, two buckle my shoe...).