Use number books to promote development of number awareness. Choose number books that are related to themes and activities such as winter animals or dinosaurs. Select rhymes and books that encourages repeating a string of numbers. Books that require actively searching for numbers in the pictures can be read in smaller groups or used in one-on-one sessions. Repeat number strings such as "one, two, three yellow blocks" when children are playing. Ask children to count back and change the order from where you start counting.
As early as 2 years of age, many preschoolers can repeat a string of numbers. Yet, repeating a string of numbers is not the same as understanding the relationship between a number and an object. Putting the number skills together takes time. Developmental psychologists Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff say by the age of 4, many children can tell when you miscount objects and they can compare sets of objects. Promote the development of the idea that you can count anything by selecting items of different categories, lengths and widths.
Use daily activities where children compare groups of items, for example, groups with three, four and five blocks. When children are playing, spread out items so that the objects take up more space. Count the objects and explain that space is not important when you count objects such as blocks. Play a game to help children understand that a group of five beads is the same as a group of five crayons. Taking turns, remove one item at a time. Repeat this process and take turns starting to remove the items. This will promote understanding that the size of an object is an independent feature. In preschool, it is important to let children explore the world by using their senses. Visually comparing objects is important, but to further deepen understanding about numbers children can count objects while closing their eyes.You can hide two groups of objects under a blanket and let children count the two groups by sticking their hands under the blanket.
Measuring objects and comparing sizes is an important part of preschool math. Let children measure objects in the classroom using a wide range of objects. Nonstandard units such as paper clips, paper, or building blocks can be used. Ask children to count out loud while they are measuring things. Try to measure different types of shapes such as balls and cubes. Talk about different problems with measuring round objects. This will promote understanding of three-dimensional objects.