4 year old not recognizing numbers

[Anonymous]

Ok, so I feel like a total failure about this and have no idea how this slipped past us. My 4.5yo has an amazing vocabulary and has been reading (and clearly comprehending) chapter books for several months and is able to write letters without help. He's also done well for a long time with counting items and simple math. We had his parent teacher conference last week and his teacher pointed out he couldn't identify numbers in the teens. I've started working with him specifically on that, and am now realizing he also can't keep straight 6,8,9,11, and 12. We'll go over them, then 5 minutes later he can't remember them again. He can recognize them in succession though, I think... although maybe he's just memorized the order.
At this point, I don't want to make it feel like work or stress him out drilling. Are there any fun books or activities that have helped your preschooler recognize numbers?

[Anonymous]

My daughter loves the Melissa & Doug Water Wow books, one of which is all about numbers. Their books that come with little water "markers," so you can paint over the pages repeatedly to make the colors come out, and they fade when the water dries. They have other books (one with letters and one with pictures) so you can get a few and not make it All About the Numbers.

[Anonymous]

It sounds like he is doing great with the reading. Maybe that's just taking priority right now, and he can pick the numbers up later. I wouldn't worry.

What's most important at that age is whether he is interested in learning, not whether he has mastered everything.

[Anonymous]

Leap Frog Videos and Ipad.

[Anonymous]

Wait... Is it normal for kids to read this early?!!!!

[Anonymous]

It's not really very concerning, but if you want your child to really know his numerals before kindergarten, here's what to do:

Get a bunch of index cards (24) and write the numerals 0 - 6 on them. 3 x each for all the numbers except for #3 -- make 6 of those.

Under each number, draw small circles to show how many. (If you think your child may need to count).

Deal out 10 of the cards in a pyramid shape, one in the first row, 2 in the 2nd row, up to the 4th row.

Ask your child to choose two cards that together make 6. Your child will pick a pair of cards, then together count the dots on the bottom, and see if you get 6 dots. Maybe he will pick 2 and 4.

The replace those two cards with cards from the deck in your hand, and you take a turn.

Go until all the cards have been chosen.

Once he gets the idea, you can play so he finds ALL the possible combinations of 6 in the pyramid. THen you see if you can find any he missed, then fill in the pyramid and you take your turn. Winner is whoever has the most cards.

There are variations on this game, but basically they all help a child learn "number bonds" -- what two numbers add up to 6 -- and will help him really learn his numerals 0-6 at the same time.

Once he's really got it you play the same game, but this time with 7 or 8, finally with 9 and 10.

That should be ample preparation for Kindergarten, even if you don't ever reach 11, 12, 13 etc. There's no hurry, and the best preparation you can give him is him having a firm sense of what 2 numbers add up to 10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait... Is it normal for kids to read this early?!!!!

No. It's a humble brag.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you all so much for the ideas! These are great . I think I just took for granted that he knew them and have been a little shocked that he's not even consistently recognizing 1-10. I think he DID know them and then, as a PP pointed out, maybe he started focusing so much on reading that those took a backseat.
And to the PP that asked if it is normal for a 4yo to be reading so early, I don't think so - his pre-k teachers were stunned in the fall at his reading skills so he seems to be pretty advanced in that area. Which is why it is all the more surprising (at least to me) that he's not able to pick up on numerals. We didn't do anything special to teach him how to read, he's just always been a book worm and happily spends an hour of quiet time every day in his room devouring library books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait... Is it normal for kids to read this early?!!!!

No. It's a humble brag.

Sorry, wasn't meant to be a humble brag. When I first realized he wasn't recognizing them I was wondering if there was a learning disability specifically related to numbers. That is why I put in the info that he IS reading - to see if anyone thought there was something else going on where he can't recognize symbols. Also, I just feel we dropped the ball somehow on really celebrating with him his reading skills and not realizing he has difficulty with numbers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not really very concerning, but if you want your child to really know his numerals before kindergarten, here's what to do:

Get a bunch of index cards (24) and write the numerals 0 - 6 on them. 3 x each for all the numbers except for #3 -- make 6 of those.

Under each number, draw small circles to show how many. (If you think your child may need to count).

Deal out 10 of the cards in a pyramid shape, one in the first row, 2 in the 2nd row, up to the 4th row.

Ask your child to choose two cards that together make 6. Your child will pick a pair of cards, then together count the dots on the bottom, and see if you get 6 dots. Maybe he will pick 2 and 4.

The replace those two cards with cards from the deck in your hand, and you take a turn.

Go until all the cards have been chosen.

Once he gets the idea, you can play so he finds ALL the possible combinations of 6 in the pyramid. THen you see if you can find any he missed, then fill in the pyramid and you take your turn. Winner is whoever has the most cards.

There are variations on this game, but basically they all help a child learn "number bonds" -- what two numbers add up to 6 -- and will help him really learn his numerals 0-6 at the same time.

Once he's really got it you play the same game, but this time with 7 or 8, finally with 9 and 10.

That should be ample preparation for Kindergarten, even if you don't ever reach 11, 12, 13 etc. There's no hurry, and the best preparation you can give him is him having a firm sense of what 2 numbers add up to 10.

NP here.

Interesting. I've never heard of this before. Is there any particular reason why you start with the number 6?

And is there a way to make this more of a "real" game?

Any websites that you can link that have more of these math types of games?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait... Is it normal for kids to read this early?!!!!

No. It's a humble brag.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for massive humble brag

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NP here.

Interesting. I've never heard of this before. Is there any particular reason why you start with the number 6?

That was the first numeral OP said her child had problems with!

I use this game with my kindergarten class and start with 5 (or 4 if the kids really are behind)

And is there a way to make this more of a "real" game?

When we play it, it feels like a real game! It's essentially the solitaire game "Pyramid". If you add extra cards you can play it longer, faster. Just make sure you always have a pair that makes the target number.

Once your child really knows the number bonds that make up 6 (or whatever number you have chosen) here's a great variation: randomly select one card and keep it hidden (I put it in a red envelope to make it exciting). Ask the child to guess what card is hidden in the envelope. (FOr the Game "Make 6) it could be anything -- 0 to 6)

Play the game as usual, but now you will end up with one number that doesn't have a partner. Say it is a 2. (Again, you are playing Make 6). Ask the child if she knows now what number is in the envelope. (Obviously it should be a 4 to pair with the 2 you can see to make 6).

This question is essentially asking a child, "What number, plus this 2, makes 6?" But they can easily answer it without counting on their fingers or subtracting, because they have been playing with those number bonds for so long.... 0 and 6, 1 and 5, 2 and 4, 3 and 3. It just "comes" to them.

Any websites that you can link that have more of these math types of games?

The Kentucky Numeracy Project -- amazing resource!

http://knp.kentuckymathematics.org/#!

[Anonymous]

Oops messed up the formatting. Trying again.

Anonymous wrote:
NP here.

Interesting. I've never heard of this before. Is there any particular reason why you start with the number 6?

That was the first numeral OP said her child had problems with!

I use this game with my kindergarten class and start with 5 (or 4 if the kids really are behind)

And is there a way to make this more of a "real" game?

When we play it, it feels like a real game! It's essentially the solitaire game "Pyramid". If you add extra cards you can play it longer, faster. Just make sure you always have a pair that makes the target number.

Once your child really knows the number bonds that make up 6 (or whatever number you have chosen) here's a great variation: randomly select one card and keep it hidden (I put it in a red envelope to make it exciting). Ask the child to guess what card is hidden in the envelope. (FOr the Game "Make 6) it could be anything -- 0 to 6)

Play the game as usual, but now you will end up with one number that doesn't have a partner. Say it is a 2. (Again, you are playing Make 6). Ask the child if she knows now what number is in the envelope. (Obviously it should be a 4 to pair with the 2 you can see to make 6).

This question is essentially asking a child, "What number, plus this 2, makes 6?" But they can easily answer it without counting on their fingers or subtracting, because they have been playing with those number bonds for so long.... 0 and 6, 1 and 5, 2 and 4, 3 and 3. It just "comes" to them.

Any websites that you can link that have more of these math types of games?

The Kentucky Numeracy Project -- amazing resource!

http://knp.kentuckymathematics.org/#!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all so much for the ideas! These are great . I think I just took for granted that he knew them and have been a little shocked that he's not even consistently recognizing 1-10. I think he DID know them and then, as a PP pointed out, maybe he started focusing so much on reading that those took a backseat.
And to the PP that asked if it is normal for a 4yo to be reading so early, I don't think so - his pre-k teachers were stunned in the fall at his reading skills so he seems to be pretty advanced in that area. Which is why it is all the more surprising (at least to me) that he's not able to pick up on numerals. We didn't do anything special to teach him how to read, he's just always been a book worm and happily spends an hour of quiet time every day in his room devouring library books.

yes, there is. it's called dyscalculia. however, OP, if he's having this issue at 6, 7, or 8--then you can go for testing at this age PLEASE, PLEASE do NOT drill.

kids need to be kids. he will learn this in K.