A BIRTHDAY TO COUNT ON! | Birthdays are special to little ones especially when they understand they are growing up! Each year, my son looks forward adding candles to our play cake. He is only three now, but already looking forward to when he turns four in December. On his sister’s birthday, he got his play cake out and started counting the candles he would need to match his sister’s age: six. He persisted to find the slices of cake that fit together to make a round cake. Then he counted out the candles: one, two, three, and four. He then realized that he was missing two more candles to make six. Using objects to help with one-to-one correspondence is helpful especially when children can recognize when they are missing items. This exercise creates early addition and subtraction problems through play!
This simple activity can be used with a variety of manipulatives or snacks at home that children can use to count with and compare. You can ask specific questions such as, “Which number is more? Which number is less?” Using objects that your child is interested in can make counting more meaningful.
Children learn the importance of using numbers to identify with their age, amounts, and objects they may be using. While it does not have to be a birthday to practice counting, every day can be a moment to help children to practice Count, Group, and Compare!
–By Airreia Pierce, Basics Blogger