Teaching Counting In Preschool

Teaching Counting in Preschool By Anthony J. Fejfar, B.A., J.D., Esq., Coif © Copyright 2009 by Anthony J. Fejfar It is possible to stretch the imagination of a child in preschool by teaching counting at age 4. You must start out using concrete operations for counting. You get an apple and then a Popsicle stick and you show the kid both, and then you say socratically, “See you have one apple which is represented by the stick number one, using one Popsicle stick. Understand?” Then, you do it with two apples and two Popsicle sticks, then three apples and three Popsicle sticks, then four apples and four Popsicle sticks, then five apples and five Popsicle sticks, then six apples and six Popsicle sticks, then seven apples and seven Popsicle sticks, then eight apples and eight Popsicle sticks, then nine apples and nine Popsicle sticks, then ten apples and ten Popsicle sticks. By the way, this also developes analogical reasoning and the analogical imagination that Andrew Greeley writes about. Next, you do apples, Popsicle sticks, and Roman Numerals, together, up to number 10. Finally, you teach the children that the numbers Infinity and Zero are magic numbers and the rest are mundane. Then, you do apples, Popsicle sticks, Roman Numerals, and regular Greek numbers up to number 10.

See chart below:

Apple

1 stick

I Roman Numeral

1 Number

2 Apples

2 sticks

II Roman Numeral

2 Number

3 Apples

3 sticks

III Roman Numeral

3 Number

4 Apples

4 sticks

IV Roman Numeral

4 Number

5 Apples

5 sticks

V Roman Numeral

5 Number

6 Apples

6 sticks

VI Roman Numeral

6 Number

7 Apples

7 sticks

VII Roman Numeral

7 Number

8 Apples

8 sticks

VIII Roman Numeral

8 Number

9 Apples

9 sticks

IX Roman Numeral

9 Number

10 Apples

10 sticks

X Roman Numeral

10 Number