Counting 101 – Number Conservation
Counting is as easy as 1, 2, 3, right? There’s a lot more to teaching little ones to count than that. Check out Megan Jenkins, instructor with Little Shoes Academy, as she explains one of the ABCs of counting – conservation.
Number conservation is the concept that the number of items stay the same no matter how they are arranged. This is a valuable skill for little learners to mastery, but not always an easy skill for them to understand.
When your child is mastering number conservation, they may be able to identify a smaller set of numbers without counting them. For example, they may be able to quickly identify that they have 2 ears or five fingers. Before your child masters number conservation, they may not be able to count on from the starting point. This means that starting with five fingers and counting on would be difficult.
You can help your child understand and master number conservation by taking small objects and counting them one at a time, rearranging, then recounting. Invite your child to do the rearranging to help build excitement during the process.
Once the child can easily rearrange and recount, try hiding one or two of the small objects nearby, such as under a cup, bowl, or pillow. As your child how many objects are hidden and then count from there to identify the total number of objects.
If the child is unable to count from the hidden number, try uncovering the objects, counting them, and then re-covering them before counting on. Repeat this with different objects until the child can count on from the starting number.
It’s normal for young mathematicians to need time to understand number conservation. Making the counting fun during meal times, drives, or family trips to the store can go a long way toward helping your child develop this important skill.
If your child is struggling with number conservation or if you simply need some fresh ideas to teach them, we recommend joining our Facebook group for free expert tips, advice, and support!
