A neighbor tells you, "So you're the one who's taking the Child Psychology course, eh? My preschooler still can't count, even though I spanked her plenty for being so slow to learn counting. What should I do to make her start to count?" What practical advice could be offered to the preschooler's mother?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

First, the preschooler should NOT be beaten for being slow to start to count. Behavioral psychologists assert strongly that punishment has many harmful side effects. Being punished could even extinguish a child's interest in learning. Teaching counting to the preschooler should be made into an interesting game to restore her interest in the subject. To get ideas about making it a game, check TV shows for preschoolers such as Sesame Street. The child could watch the TV show with you; when it's over, then the games could begin. Game activities should be kept brief and varied because it is known that preschoolers have short attention spans. Does the child attend preschool? If so, then meet with the preschool teacher to learn what counting-related activities are done there. Home activities could repeat what is done at preschool and add others as well. While doing the practice with the child, observe carefully the types of errors made by the child while counting, and then adjust the tutoring to fix those deficiencies. This closely adjusted support was recommended highly by Vygotsky, who called it parental "scaffolding.". Teach counting skills patiently and in small steps so that no errors, or very few errors, are made. For preschoolers, counting should begin with concrete (real) objects. Don't expect the child to count in her head until object-counting is done well. Have her count objects while riding in the car. Notice the elements of counting, and help her improve in areas of weakness: Does she have the numbers memorized accurately in sequence from zero to 10? Does she count each object exactly once? Does she realize that any objects can be counted, even when they are from different categories? Does she understand that counting gives the same result when counting left to right or right to left, etc.? Is cardinality understood, that the total is the last number reached in the count? Cardinality is the last of the counting principles to be mastered, at about the age of five, so if the preschooler is not yet at that age, then the parent should be patient with her on that principle.