How to Teach Your Toddler to Count
Genesis Davies
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My son, at just 15 months, delights in counting out coins. He drops them one by one into my hand, shouting gleefully, "one, two, FREEEEE!" The fact that he can count astounds most people, but to me, it is completely normal. That's because I have been using simple techniques since he was born to help 
him remember the numbers. You can do the same with your child!
There is no great trick to teaching your little one how to count. In fact, you just need to be aware of what you are doing throughout the day. Babies pick up on a lot more than we think they do and you can take advantage of that by simply speaking aloud when you would normally be quiet.
This technique could be used with many different knowledge areas, in fact, I have used it quite effectively to teach my toddler left and right as well. However, for the purposes of this article, we will stick to numbers and you can adapt the method to the knowledge later on, once you understand it.
Basically, you need to count aloud. Your baby is listening to you, even when she is staring at the cat. If you notice, your child often picks up on the sounds of distant sirens, a dog barking outside and a myriad of other noises that we naturally tune out. So, whenever you have the chance, count things out loud.
For example, if you are making up a bottle for your infant, count out the scoops of milk. Hearing the words "one, two, three" over and over will stick them in your child's brain and he will remember them. They become routine and when he begins to talk, they will already be in his mind, ready for use as soon as he feels able to pronounce them!
You can add to the daily counting routine by playing games with your child to help him remember the numbers. One game that my son particularly loves now that he is able to walk, is to climb up on sidewalks and concrete borders. He walks along them, holding my hand and when we reach the end, we count, "one, two, three, JUMP!" and he hops down. To him this is a very exciting game and it was actually where he began to count out loud!
There is no great trick to teaching your little one how to count. In fact, you just need to be aware of what you are doing throughout the day. Babies pick up on a lot more than we think they do and you can take advantage of that by simply speaking aloud when you would normally be quiet.
This technique could be used with many different knowledge areas, in fact, I have used it quite effectively to teach my toddler left and right as well. However, for the purposes of this article, we will stick to numbers and you can adapt the method to the knowledge later on, once you understand it.
Basically, you need to count aloud. Your baby is listening to you, even when she is staring at the cat. If you notice, your child often picks up on the sounds of distant sirens, a dog barking outside and a myriad of other noises that we naturally tune out. So, whenever you have the chance, count things out loud.
For example, if you are making up a bottle for your infant, count out the scoops of milk. Hearing the words "one, two, three" over and over will stick them in your child's brain and he will remember them. They become routine and when he begins to talk, they will already be in his mind, ready for use as soon as he feels able to pronounce them!
You can add to the daily counting routine by playing games with your child to help him remember the numbers. One game that my son particularly loves now that he is able to walk, is to climb up on sidewalks and concrete borders. He walks along them, holding my hand and when we reach the end, we count, "one, two, three, JUMP!" and he hops down. To him this is a very exciting game and it was actually where he began to count out loud!