Unit One: Numeral Recognition
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Learning Objective
- Learners will suggest various ways to incorporate numeral recognition into their classroom and/or daily routine.
What is Numeral Recognition?
Numeral recognition is connecting a numeral, a number's symbol, to its name. For example, when a child says "two" when they see "2," they are showing that they recognize the numeral. Numeral recognition is a large part of early childhood mathematics, just as letter recognition is. As students will come into contact with numerals in their daily life and future mathematical endeavors, it is important for early childhood educators to provide their students with many chances to see and work with numerals.
Developmentally speaking, between the ages of three and four students should increase their number awareness, and should able to recognize the numerals 1-10 by the end of preschool. All children develop at different rates and attend preschool and day care programs with varying degrees of emphasis on mathematics, though, so this guideline is just a guideline, and shouldn't automatically raise any red flags if it is not met exactly on time.
What Does Numeral Recognition Practice Look Like in a Preschool Classroom?
There are many ways to incorporate numeral activities in preschool classrooms. It can be as natural as noticing a number on a child's tee-shirt, and as planned as an aspect of a small-group project. Numerals are all around, and children do notice them!
Sandpaper Numerals
- To introduce children to numerals, the Montessori method of teaching recommends the use of sandpaper numbers. This strategy involves the child in tracing the sandpaper numeral with their finger and saying the name of the numeral. This sort of practice is repeated many times, and with varied numbers. A child might work on the numbers 1-3 during a sitting, for example.
[Watch this video for an idea about how sandpaper numerals can be used in the classroom] (Motessori Preschool: Introduction to Numeral Recognition)
Play Dough Numerals
- Play dough is often a choice for children in preschool classrooms. [Here is a recipe to make play dough at home] (Canida, 2006). One activity for children is to have the children create play-dough numbers. This can be done in a few ways. One way is that the teacher states the number, then the child must form the numeral with play dough. Another option is that the child can make whatever numeral they choose, and when they are finished tell the teachers what numeral they constructed. As a way to extend this activity for those who need a challenge, ask the children to roll the same number of play dough balls as the numeral represents.
Number Cards
- Incorporate numerals into projects. To do this, use number cards during projects when it is applicable. Number cards are cards with numerals and symbols that represent "how many" that numeral corresponds with. Because the number card shows how many the numeral signifies, it does not require the child to know this independently yet. This is helpful to the many children who are just beginning to learn about numbers. (Hubbard, 2012)
If a child needs yarn for their collage, for example, the teacher might have the child choose a number card to determine how many pieces of yarn they will take. The child should be able to recognize the numeral on the card, so beginning with lower numbers is a good idea, slowly increasing the numerals depending on the child's skills and abilities. If a child struggles with the task of counting out pieces of yarn (or whatever it may be), the teacher should provide assistance so that the child has the correct number of objects according to the numeral.
Number cards can also be used throughout the day to reinforce skills. They can be used in a multitude of games based on showing the number of objects that corresponds with the numeral card. A child might be asked to find the same number of buttons as is on the numeral card. Accordingly, a teacher might provide children with opportunities to match up dinosaur toys, heart-shaped erasers, or snowflake pom-poms depending on the unit of learning.
Let's Talk
We have reviewed and examined a few of the ways that young children can practice numeral recognition. Numeral recognition lays part of the groundwork for early mathematical thinking and development.
The question for you is: What are some of the ways that you have encouraged numeral recognition in your classroom? If you are not yet teaching, what are some activity ideas that correspond with what we have just explored about numeral recognition? Please paste your response in the discussion area, and comment on at least two of your peers' postings. Also, please use a heading when you write your initial posting. You may copy and paste the format I have provided on the discussion page, inserting your own name of course.