Free Math Poster and Worksheets
One of the first things most of us teach our kids at home is how to count to ten. Whether or not they're going to go to school or stay home and be homeschooled, learning to count to ten is a pretty basic skill. But teaching them the digits and symbols we use to show value is only one part of the equation. So while you're teaching your children numbers 1 through 10, keep these things in mind!
Counting is more than digits
One of the best memories I have of this is when I taught my oldest child to count to 10 and he really 'got it'. We had a bag of those little plastic balls that you fill a kiddie pool with and we were throwing them into a basket. While doing this, we decided to count how many balls we could throw inside, and I told him that I bet we could get ten in. And so we counted how many we threw that landed in the basket, then took them out of the basket and counted again. This is when he really understood the VALUE of the number ten - that we use number words to assign values to amounts or collections of objects.
That, I believe, is one of the most important things to teach our learners when showing them digits and numerals - what they represent.
0 to 9, but digits can be combined!
I love it when kids realize that higher amounts like 12 or 28 are represented by two single digits put together - but it doesn't mean that we have 1 and 2 balls or 2 and 8 balls - it means something else completely different. That's why I love to tell kids that a DIGIT and an AMOUNT or number are two different things. A digit is a symbol we use, like a letter. A number is an amount we use to name a collection.
Learn numbers, then apply new knowledge.
One great way to make the association between these numbers and amounts is to use the flashcards I've included here and take them around with you. If you're at the park with your child, take out a new number every time and ask them to find that many rocks or dandelions. If you're in the classroom or it's a rainy day, give each student a card and ask them to show that number using manipulatives or stickers on paper.
Teach them that a digit is a symbol and just like 'A' stands for 'apple', '2' stands for two things.
Using the worksheets
Learning to write numbers is an important skill too. One way that's fun to keep on teaching the concept of value versus symbol is to have them draw colored dots inside each balloon to show that amount.
You could also give them small dot or star stickers and have them paste that many onto each balloon.
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Please remember to share THIS page, not the google drive link, when sharing this freebie with others! It helps me be able to make time to create more!
However you choose to teach your learners about numbers from 1 to 10 and what they represent, I hope this set helps you out!
Debbie
Want More Counting Practice? Check these out!
