Montessori Activity: Teaching Counting & Numeral Recognition

Age: From 2.5 years old (Level 4: Once your child can count objects from 1-10, he can be taught the numerals 1 - 10)

Activity Duration: 5 - 10 minutes

Objectives:
1. To teach numeral recognition

Materials:
1. 1 set of number cards from 1 - 10 with corresponding picture object quantities.
2. 1 small dish containing the picture objects with the blank side of the cards facing up.

Directions:
1. Lay out the numeral cards in a straight line in numerical order from 1-10.

2. Turn over a picture card and count the quantities on it. For example, count the number of children "one, two, three."

3. Match the number of objects with the respective numeral card. For example, put the card wtih 3 children below the numeral card 3.

4. Invite your child to turn over the next picture card and point the number of objects shown on the card.

5. Invite your child to match the picture card with the corresponding numeral card on the table.

6. Repeat for all the rest of the picture card until you have match all the cards from 1-10 with the numeral and the objects.

Montessori Activity: Learning Numberals 1 - 10

Age: From 2.5 years old (Level 4: Once your child can count objects from 1-10, he can be taught the numerals 1 - 10)

Activity Duration: 5 - 10 minutes

Objectives:
1. To teach numeral recognition

Materials:
1. 1 set of number cards from 1 - 10.

Directions:
1. Lay out the cards in a straight line in numerical order from 1-10.

2. Point to them one-by-one and say what the numeral is from 1 - 10. Then ask your child to repeat after you from 1-10.

3. Then turn over the cards with the blank facing up.

4. Turn over a number card randomly. For example, turn over the card number 7.

5. Point the card number 7 and ask your child to tell you what the numeral is.

6. Then ask him what the numeral is before and after it. Then turn it over and verify if your child is correct.

7. Turn all the cards over with blank facing up again. Repeat the game by randomly turning over another card and ask your child what numberal it is.

Tips:
You can also repeat the game, but turn over th numerals before and after, and ask your child what the numberal in the middle is. When he guesses, turn it over and show him whether he is correct.

Montessori Activity: Multilingual Number Tiles/多语言数字牌 [duō yǔ yán shù zì pái]

Note: This is usually carried out together with the Number Rods.

Age: From 2.5 years old (Level 3)

Activity Duration: 5 - 15 minutes

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Objective(s):
1. To asscoiate the named quantities represented by the Number Rods with their written symbols.
2. To give sensorial key to the sequence 1 to 10.
3. To develop an immediate visual recognition of the quantities 1 through 10.
4. To provide an introductory sensorial key to addition and subtraction.

Materials:
1. 10 small wooden or paper tablets with numbers on each from 1 to 10. (I made my own using paper and cardboard, see below)
2. An open box which holds the tablets upright (optional, I use the pill organizer to hold the "tablets").
3. 1 tray

Directions:
1. Arrange the rods in a random order on a tray/floor mat, so that your child can see them clearly.

2. Put the rods horizontally to the right of you and ask your child to sit on your left.

3. Lay out the Number Tablets in random arrangement on a tray.

4. Introduce the '10' tablet, name it and ask your child to repeat the name, locate the corresponding rod and lean the tablet against it.

5. Invite the child to pick another tablet, read it, locate the corresponding rod and lean the tablet against it.

6. Repeat for the remaining of the numbers until all 10 tablets are paired with their corresponding rods.

Video Demonstration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjmsmQqBLvA

Tips:
1. You can repeat the exercise with the nubmer tablets in another language. For us, we will repeat it with the Chinese characters for the numbers 1 to 10.

How to Make Number Rods with Lego?
1. Print the Number Tablet template here.
2. Paste it on a red cardboard.
3. Cut out the tablets.

Additional Information:
J is probably too young to try this, but I have prepared it so that it is ready when that day arrives. As we are a cross-cultural family, I have made the number tablets in 4 languages English, Chinese, Danish and French (the last one French is more for myself, since I am taking French classes at work).

I meant to wake up at 5am this morning to make this, but I woke up late today at 7am, which means that we were 2 hours behind schedule today :-( Somedays are like that.
References:
- Basic Montessori: Learning Acitivities for Under-Fives

Montessori Activity: Tracing Numbers Using "Sandpaper" Numbers

Age: From 3 years old

Activity Duration: 10-15 minutes

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Objective(s): To teach the child to read and write numbers.

Materials: Sandpaper numbers

Directions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H80D65Dy-UM

Cost:
Box of cards: 20 DKK (4.80 SGD) from Tiger
Foam letters: 10 DKK (2.40 SGD) from Chao Chao at Lyngby train station

How to Make "Sandpaper" Letters Yourself?

Buy the above materials and paste the letters on each card using UHU glue.

References:
http://www.infomontessori.com/mathematics/numbers-through-ten-sandpaper-numbers.htm

http://www.ehow.com/videos-on_3930_montessori-math-methods.html

If you do not have time to make them yourself, it is also available from Amazon:

http://amzn.to/1rlOocQ