A free 3-minute check that shows which step is hard
Early math is built in steps: counting, knowing the numbers, more and less, and putting together. A child who struggles is usually stuck on one of them. Do this check together. It takes about three minutes, and you need about ten small things to count.
Already sure this is the problem? Skip the check and see the 10-day plan: Count It Up
How to do it: do not teach and do not correct. Just listen, and tap what your child could do. Nothing you tap is sent anywhere.
Put out a group of small things. Your child counts them, touching each one. Tap the group if your child touched each thing once and said how many.
Write each number on paper, or point to it below. Tap it if your child says it right.
Say: “Which is more?” Tap the pair if your child picks the bigger number. Real things may help.
Put out two small groups. Ask: “How many in all?” Tap it if your child gets it right, counting or not.
When your child counts, what happens most?
Many children can say one, two, three up to twenty, and still struggle with math. Counting needs three things at once: touch each thing once, say one number for each, and know that the last number tells how many. A child who misses one of them counts the same apple twice and gets a new answer each time. That is common between four and six, and it is the first thing to check.
It is not a test for a learning difficulty. It cannot tell you why math is hard for your child, only which step to start on. If your child is six or older and counting to 10 is still very hard, or nothing changes after daily practice, tell their teacher what you saw and ask what the school has noticed.
More help: The One Sheet for Math · Numbers and counting worksheets · Addition and subtraction worksheets
