On Outings and while shopping – day to day experiences
Let kids do the addition and subtraction when you are out shopping (buying groceries, at supermarkets) or visiting park with your kids. Ask them to add up items in shopping bucket or add number of trees in the park.
Incorporate addition and subtraction in games
Use Addition and Subtraction games with toys and fruits or vegetables for kids to practice addition and subtraction. For Example Use 5 apples and 3 bananas, and place them together and let them count.
Spot the missing numbers
You can create simple addition and subtraction problems for your kid to solve For example. What comes in the series of numbers 11, 12, 13, 14, ?, 16, 17. What is the number missing in place of Question mark? Or simply write some numbers in a sequence of 1-12 from 1-9, and ask them what are the missing numbers. For Example in a Sequence of 1,2, _, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9_, _, 12 Ask them to spot the missing numbers.
Addition and subtraction with household articles and objects
Asking your child count number of chairs or asking them to count number of bags in a room can be interesting exercise. Developing a habit of counting (objects wherever there are a series of objects in home or in part or outside) whenever they are not studying can be helpful and fun because it will be free from studying pressure, and they will learn quicker.
Use pictures for addition and subtraction
Pictures can greatly influence in developing counting ability. Ask them to count the number of objects or vegetables or fruits or people or letters in the picture.
Addition and subtraction with Coins or Dices.
Use a few coins or dices and ask your kids to count them. Maybe use a Green and Red Dice and ask them to count number of dots on them. Maybe use different amount of currency coins and ask them to do counting- addition or subtraction operations to arrive at a specific value of Currency. Create 2 heaps of Coins and ask them to calculate their number. (its best to use 1 cent/dollar to keep calculation simple).
View the below Video for more practice and learning
Benefits of learning basic counting-addition and subtraction for kids
1. They will develop a better understanding of arithmetic and help them develop left brain
2. Their analytics ability and problem solving ability will improve.
3. Counting and Numbers add perspective about life and help them to relate to life situations in a better way once they grow up. Whether it is counting number of years since their birth, or calculating population of people living below poverty line or estimating malnourished children in an area, or estimating sugar consumption in a household- all the numbers add a perspective about life, so a habit learnt as a kid, goes a long way in getting a mathematical perspective about life situations.
4. Learning Math or Counting Numbers is more interesting when kids solve it in a natural manner– So it makes more engaging and exciting for them to learn if it is accompanied with animation, games or number puzzles.
Videos to learn basic Counting, Addition & Subtraction for kids
Basic Math Addition For Kids-Pre-K and Kindergarten
Basic Subtraction For Kids – Pre-K & Kindergarten
NumberBlocks – Learn Counting with Music
Learn to Count with Super Simple Songs-Top 10 Counting Songs
Math Songs – Counting Songs for Kids | Learn How to Count | Numberblocks
Conclusion
Whether you use animation videos, dice games, coins, objects, toys, patterns or fruits and vegetables together – there are many ways parents can help kids develop Counting as a basic skill. Counting can be taught by playing games or during day to day activities, or by practicing addition and subtraction problems on paper or by watching Counting play videos like the above.
