Counters

Use counters to keep it as concrete as possible for your child. Counters can be anything that is available but not something that will distract your daughter. Some simple counters are: poker chips, Cheerios, bottle tops, crayons, pegs with peg board, etc.

A two sided counter is helpful for learning math facts. You can make a simple two sided counter by painting one side of a lima bean or a poker chip. These two sided counters can be used for math facts and later when your daughter is ready for probability activities.

Story Time Math

You can make a game out of counting any number of objects that you find around.
For instance;

• How many knives do we have on the table and how many forks? How many all together?
  
  
• If we put 2 pillows on your bed and 3 pillows on the couch, how many are there?
  
  
• How many people are waiting in this line and that line?

If you turn it into a story it helps engage your daughter and prepares her for story problems in the future. Children love it when you put things in a story.

A story can be as simple as there were two dogs outside playing and then 2 more dogs came and they all played together. How many dogs are there playing outside now?

Or make it open ended like: Samantha found 3 sunflower seeds and planted them in the garden. She than found 2 more seeds but didn't know what kind they were. After thinking about it, she decided to plant them in the garden too. How many seeds did she plant? Months later the plants grew and she found out that the 2 seeds were...Let your daughter make suggestions of what the seeds were. She might even what to draw a picture to show how all the plants look.

Simple Drawings

1. 
   When your daughter has been successfully adding with counters and is comfortable with doing it, you can make simple drawings for her – like of 4 cars + 2 buses or 3 cats + 2 dolls.
2. The drawings don't have to be works of art. Simple drawings or even stickers will give your daughter practice at counting objects while transitioning toward making it more abstract.
3. You will also be reinforcing the "+" and "=" signs.

Dice Games

Play games with dice where your daughter has to add the numbers on the dice to move forward. 

Some children when playing with dice for the first time don't realize that they are to add the numbers or dots on the top of the dice.  Be sure she understands to use only the top of the dice, when adding.

When young children begin to add, dice with the dots are very handy. The dots are a great tool for children to be able to count up to the total number needed for the game they are playing.

Dice with numbers are a great tool for number recognition. So if it is the numbers that you want your child to become familiar with use those dice instead of dice with dots.

Number Line

Another great tool is using a number line.

Most number lines are horizontal (like a ruler) but for some children that don't have a strong number sense, it can be confusing.

Using a vertical number line helps children see that the numbers build on each other and makes it much clearer for them.

1. Use the counters to go along with the story problems or addition problems from school; or stories or addition problems that you make up.
2. Your child can then use her counters to identify the first number that she want to add on to and then count from that point.
   
   For example, if the problem is 3 dinosaurs come to the playground to play and 1 red dinosaur joined them later, how many dinosaurs are there in all?
• Have your child line the dinosaurs up on the number line.  First the 3 green and then the 1 red.  If you don't have the counters to go with the story have your child color the first 3 boxes with green and then the next box with red.
• Then have your child count how many in all.