Learning Numbers

Our daughter, Miss Sassafras or Monkey, (just can not decide which nickname I want to use for the blog) lived in Guatemala until right before her 4th birthday. Due to her beginnings in poverty and orphanage living, she just doesn't grasp concept that seem so much easier to your "typical" preschooler. When she came home at 4, she didn't even know any colors in Spanish, so it was all new to her. She picked up English amazingly quick, but things like colors, letter, numbers, etc. are very abstract to her. (though she has learned most of her colors now)

My friend who adopted from China has found a similar issue with colors not making sense to her son. It is different than when a child is learning them when they are a toddler and early preschooler. I have thought a lot about it and think that part of the issue is just the way we often naturally talk about the world around us. As we try to figure out when young toddler is saying we might ask "Do you want the blue one?" or "I love those pink shoes!" etc. With no exposure to it whatsoever, no foundation at all, it doesn't click very easily. Pink can look very different if it is a pink pig, or crayon or paint color.

Numbers and letter recognition are similar issue for Miss Sassafras. Right now, we are trying to learn some letters (She may know 2 or 3) and numbers.

For Numbers- she has counting down (majority of the time) up to 11, and we are working on understanding that numbers mean something and recognition. This is one of the ways I came up with and I had the stuff laying around, which is my favorite way of doing things- cheap!

Made with an old vinyl placement, using the back of it, and electrical tape to give the numbers and counting squares texture. Miss S. can trace the numbers with her finger to help give her brain another way of making the connection or even lay paper on top and do a crayon rubbing. She can count the counting squares with her finger or they are a perfect size for Miss S. to place beans or legos to help with counting.