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Children are born with an incredible capacity to learn about mathematics and numbers and their play can be naturally mathematical by counting, sorting, building, comparing and measuring.
Most children come to preschool with some counting ability.
Adults may believe that a young child understands numbers when they hear the child counting. However, the child may only be engaging in rote counting, that is, reciting numbers without any real understanding of the underlying quantity, similar to reciting a poem, a rhyme, or the alphabet.
Counting is more than just reciting numbers, it is a very important foundation for mathematical learning and future success in mathematics.
There are five aspects to counting, firstly objects should be counted only once and numbers should have stable order.
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Any set of objects can be counted and the last number counted represent the total of the set. You can start counting the objects in a set at any position in a set and still get the same number.
Strategies for the development of counting:
- Count everything and anything. Use your finger to show numbers and to point
- Ask children, “How many?”
- Use number words
- First this, second that
- Read number books
- Engage in other mathematical concepts using numbers
- Play games