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Fun Ways to Practice Counting with Your Preschooler

Counting is an important part of foundational math skill that children begin developing from a young age. Many toddlers begin counting and kindergarteners are expected to be counting to 20 when they enter school. Counting with your preschooler takes some practice but should be fun!

“Yikes, my kid’s teacher says he’s not counting. I’ll break out the flashcards and the iPad.”

Maybe it’s time for a reset on the more structured thinking about counting.

Embedding counting into play throughout the day is so easy, but we may not think about it as we rush through our days. There are many opportunities to do this that can combine into ways to connect and bond with your little one!

What are they learning?

It’s kind of crazy, but children can usually rote count a while before they can understand what numbers represent. By kindergarten, children are generally expected to rote count up to 20. That’s straight up reciting the numbers in order- they don’t necessarily understand how many 20 is. For our littles, it’s almost like a song. Similar to how they can learn to sing the ABCs long before they understand the concept of letters.

Counting objects and understanding that 1 means one bear and 3 means three bears comes along a little slower. This concept, called 1:1 correspondence, is also learned in toddler and preschool years, but generally starts with the concept of 1 item vs 2 items. Generally speaking, children understand 1 to 5 then they move on to bigger numbers. It’s really cool to watch them learn this concept!

1) Embed it into your day

To begin with, I think we forget how new counting is to our little guys. They’re still new here. At first, it’s great to just expose your little to counting, just counting. They need to hear the numbers throughout their day. Playing counting songs in the car, reciting counting poems as you walk, “1, 2, 3, just you and me!” If you dig into your mental vault, you may remember some silly songs you knew as a child. (Here’s a link to jog your memory.) I’ve pulled together a few favorites to create a Counting Playlist on Spotify.

2) Add a motor activity

For those really busy kids, adding a motor component can be great way to help with focus. For example, on the swing, count as you push. The slow pace of the counting can be rhythmic and calming as well as educational. Counting as you walk up stairs can be a super simple way to stay present and encourage focus as well as learning to count.

My own kids loved the count down on the swings to “BLAST OFF!!” when they would get the biggest push ever.

3) Count while waiting

As an adult, I definitely use this strategy as I’m waiting at a stop light. Waiting is a pretty challenging skill and being able to wait will serve your child well throughout their lives. If your little is starving and you’re finishing up your prep, start counting slowly and clearly. If you’re waiting in line at a store, count to 10. Then count down from 10. Then count really, really fast, then really, really S L O W L Y. By hearing the same numbers in different ways, they will start to remember the patterns. By using some creativity, you can help a child learn patience by modeling patience for them as well as learning to count.

4) Count their favorites

How many legos do we have? Have many babydolls? At first, I wouldn’t even worry about the accuracy. Line up some cars and go. Especially at the beginning, it’s just fun to see some of their favorite items together and show them how to touch each one as they count. If they pretend to count later, even better.

Like the suggestion above, your little will learn other skills with this one as well. They will begin to learn to sort and categorize. Does the garbage truck go with the cars? Should we make a group of just trucks?

5) Count BIG things

To add to the motor movement activities and increase attention, count all the windows in your home. Count all the cabinet doors in the kitchen. Count all the sinks, the beds. These big items can be fun to find. Is there a window in the basement? By moving from room to room, they will be developing their memory as well. We counted all the windows in the kitchen, what’s next?

Final Notes on Counting

As with all skills, there is huge variability in what children can do at certain ages. The most important takeaway is that learning to count should be another way for you to connect with your little one. My biggest priority for any early academics is that children should learn to LOVE learning. If counting is a fun activity that they do with their parent, then it’s a success.

5 Tips for Baking with Babies

Having little ones help in the kitchen is so awesome! Baking with little ones is such an effective way to connect with them as well as help them build confidence, math and language skills. Believe it or not, many life skills can be practiced including waiting, impulse control, and perseverance when something goes wrong. It’s such a meaningful way to share your family’s history and culture as well.

However, baking with little kids can also be a bit messy- pretty sure that doesn’t come as a surprise:)

Here are a few tips to help make the experience joyful and meaningful to both you and your little one!

Prep Ahead of Time

Planning ahead can help you avoid some rookie mistakes. Start really simple by choosing an achievable recipe- maybe more s’mores bars than a vertical lemon and blueberry cake. Get the ingredients set out on the counter along with all the measuring cups, spoons, bowls and mixers you will need. Be sure you have enough of all the ingredients. Set the chair or stool up next to the counter.

Safety First

This may seem like common sense, but sometimes littles do unexpected things. Is their stool within arm’s reach of the stove? Is there a plastic liquid measuring cup available? If you limit the truly unsafe situations, there will be less stress for you and your child. They may still do absurd things (Why would you put raw eggs in your mouth?!?), but the outright dangers can be limited with some careful arranging and planning.

Give Extra Time

As with all things involving littles, extra time is needed. Take a rainy morning and baking is the plan. It will feel less rushed and you can both enjoy the time more. Maybe your child wants to drop the chocolate chips in one at a time; if you have the time you can count to 100 (Math!). Maybe something gets spilled; if you have the time, your child can help to clean it up (Responsibility!).

The Process is the Product

Sometimes, as parents, we forget that this is all new for our littles. The sensory experience of cooking with our parents can be REALLY exciting for little ones. Eggs may get dropped; a measuring cup may spill everywhere. The process of being with our child and connecting is the important part. The longer time provided will hopefully make those unexpected messes less stressful. Enjoy it! You’re creating a happy memory, and, as the adult, it’s up to you to foster that supportive loving interaction.

Talk, Talk, Talk

I know I’m a total language geek, but this is an amazing time to use a ton of new language and vocabulary. Pour the water. What’s the next ingredient? The mixer is moving slowly, now it’s moving quickly. Then expanding on their knowledge: “Does flour come from a plant or an animal? What about eggs?” I absolutely love the conversations that come up to see what connections their little minds make. Really listen and watch them to see what’s interesting to them. Do they love watching the mixer? Are they smelling the chocolate? By leaving the extra time- as mentioned above- you can really connect through this activity.

Baking All Star

After helping a bit, they will get the hang of it- as will you- and baking, like everything, will get easier. After a few times, you’ll see what they are able to do and planning ahead may not be so critical. You’ll figure out the timing and may not need to devote a full morning.

Someday, far, far into the future, your little will be big. These loving memories will be a part of who they are. Your stories shared in the kitchen about your own childhood and your family’s culture will be part of their own being. Embrace all the stages.

Go get started! In honor of National Banana Bread Day (one of my favorite days:), here’s a link to an easy banana bread recipe! Enjoy!!

Top 6 Questions for Reading with your Preschooler

Where to Start

Asking questions about the story and having discussions about the books are incredible ways to develop a love of reading. While it can be tempting to delve into why Gerald wouldn’t recognize his best friend in My Friend is Sad, as parents of little ones, we may have to start a little more simply. Our littles may not be ready to examine moral issues about the characters’ motivations. On the other side of the coin, just reading the story as if you’re reading a grocery list may not spark that passion either.

Here are a few questions to use as you read with your little ones.

Who is this story about?

This may seem pretty basic to us as adults, but children do not always pick up on story grammar, such as who the characters are. And some stories can have unusual characters, such as animals or vehicles. Typically, stories center around the actions of the characters, so it’s good to start at the baseline. I think sometimes, as parents, we do a lot of telling, but given the chance, our kiddos have a lot to share and may surprise us with what they know. This not only builds their prereading skills, but also their confidence in adding to the interaction.

“Who is making the pancakes? I see a mama, but she is sleeping. Is the dog making them?”

Where does it take place?

Again, this may seem pretty obvious, but often children’s books do not explicitly state that the characters are in a specific place. By helping them to label where the characters are and how you child knows this, you’ll be expanding language and comprehension. If the characters are outside, are they in a yard or at a park? Downtown or in the mountains? Then bridge the location to something your child knows, “Oh, that’s a park like the one we go to!”

What is the problem?

Children do not always notice there is a problem, sometimes it seems like a series of events to them. By starting to see a story as including a problem that can be solved, this can help their own creative thinking to solve problems in their own lives. In a book like Llama Llama Time to Share, the problem is one they will probably encounter and it could help them in their daily experiences The Problem is another piece of story grammar they will learn about as they get older in school and it’s helpful to their comprehension if they can name it. 

What will happen next?

Prediction can help children develop their critical thinking and help them with their own problem solving. “Uh-oh! The toy is broken- what should they do?” It’s really cool when they guess what will happen. It’s also really cool when they have a different idea. 

How do they feel?

This is great to do after a major event in a story. As in Llama, Llama Time to Share, when his toy breaks, how does he feel? Lots of times, our littles will comment “Mad” or “Sad.” This is an awesome opportunity to expand specific language (I’m a language nerd:) but also to help increase empathy and emotional intelligence. Is the character sad? Or disappointed? Or devastated? 

Does this remind you of something?

At first you may have to suggest what the event in the story reminds them of: “Remember the time we had ice cream at the park?” but after a few examples, your child will start to make connections on their own. It can be pretty crazy the information they pull together. More often than I’d like to admit, my children made a connection to an event that was really important to them that I had almost forgotten about.

Enjoy!

One last note, just savor! Ask questions, don’t ask questions, do what’s right for the day! There may be days when just reading the story is enough. These questions are just suggestions of ways to expand the experience.  Be present and enjoy the time with your child- really interacting and connecting.

For some ideas on selecting books to read with your little, check out the GLP post here!

Happy reading!!

Choosing Books for Your Little

Encouraging children to fall in love with reading is a noble goal. Often, we think that people either love to read or they don’t.  I think that’s kind of nonsense. Author James Patterson said, “There’s no such thing as a kid who hates reading. There are kids who love reading, and kids who are reading the wrong books.” But how to find the “right” books?

Such an overwhelming topic! There are so many books- so many amazing, beautiful, thoughtful stories! So many crazy adventure stories! So many exciting, deeply interesting characters!

And so much crap. For real, so much junk out there too.

Find a Balance

When choosing books with your preschooler, I think it can be a tricky balance. In our family, we read the beautiful Newberry and Caldecott Award winners. We also read a lot of trash.

In my opinion, the goal is to inspire a love of reading and build your connection with your child. A balance, as with everything, is your key to success. Sometimes, your kid wants to read the book about a race car that says, “Vroom! Vroom!” again, again and again!

I remember a Cinderella book I had as a child that I made my parents read over and over. I came across it as an adult when my parents were moving- it was not a literary masterpiece. It was pretty bad, but as a child, I remember being enthralled by Cinderella’s dress and the holographic picture on the cover. I call these not-great-books “Gateway Books.” There may be something that really interests your child, or something they’re trying to figure out. Or an image or idea that they are imagining so much better than they can describe with the language they possess as a preschooler. These books that seem not great may actually be doing more to encourage their language, imagination and love of reading than we understand. 

Don’t Forget the Classics

Also, expose them to the really great stories- the classic picture books- Where the Wild Things Are, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Strega Nona, Snowy Day. Try to find books that will be interesting to both you and them. If your child loves superheroes, find some books about superheroes.

Use Your Library

Libraries are just the best. Your child can explore books and figure out what he likes. You can take a few home and see what sticks. Then you can grow your home library with all the favorites. 

For some ideas about great questions for the books, see the GLP Blog post here!

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