Progression in Counting

Counting seems like a simple idea but it is a really important mathematical skill.  Your child will be using counting skills throughout his/her whole maths journey.  You can see from this poster that learning to count is a complex concept. Time spent supporting your child's learning at these early stages will pay dividends as he/she grows older.

It is important for you to know which stage your child is at so you can help him/her move to the next stage. Repetition and practice are the best ways to help build your child's understanding of counting.

All the support you give now will be useful to your child when he/she is expected to count in steps of different sizes.

Remember always to encourage your child to count backwards as well as forwards.  Your child will have had more practice counting forward and may struggle to be as fluent backwards. This is only due to lack of practice, as neurologically, counting backward is no more difficult for your child than counting forward.

Always count with numbers your child is confident with, expanding his/her range slowly.