Confusion in numbers

Hi Aarti! Children sometimes get confused with numbers. I would share few ideas with which child would learn it in easy ways:

1. Try with one number at a time. 2. U cud make a big size two 2 on a chart paper. Ask the child to fill between line with either pulses/rice/ leaves etc. 3. U cud reinforce the same thing by giving him balloons in the shape of 2 number. 4. Or u cud give him thermocol cut outs in the shape of no. Two or candles of number two. 5. While traveling in car or visiting park or a mall u cud reinforce number 2 written on sign boards or placards or hoardings etc. Also practice sound of two. Once he is thorough with 2 , u cud do same thing with number 3 after two weeks. Children need repitition to clear concepts. Once he is clear with all three numbers , u cud teach two number simultaneously.

Creative , interesting, innovative excercises focussed to teach same concept will definitely clarify his confusion. U need to be patient, motivating as well as innovative. U cud also write two in a plate filled with flour, or on floor filled with froth, or ask him to write number two on A4 size sheet with paint. Hope this helps!

Dear Aarti. My daughter is 5 & half now, but still occasionally confuses 6 with 9, writes 2 & 5 facing the other way. She also confuses between letters such as N with H etc. In one of the meetings, her teacher had told that this is a very common thing and almost all children have these confusions as they start to learn. They gradually get a hang of the numbers & letters and grow out of it. So dont force your child and ask him to memorize. On the other hand, make it like a game, let him write any number he feels like on a sheet of paper and you correct him if he makes a mistake. He will gradually remember the right numbers :)

@ Shikha and Arunima.. Thanks so much for such innovative ideas... I will definately try. It always a pleasure to have great ideas from you all. Thanks again.

Dear Aarti, don't worry... he will come around to it. Just don't stress him about it and playfully teach him. Discuss it with the teachers at school also.

Hi Aarti, You could try letting him write these numbers using finger paint on big sheets of paper to emphasize their impact and imagery. Or use atta (kneaded dough) to mould it into these numbers indiviually. He will enjoy the fun part of it. Also, whenever you see the same number somewhere, on a t-shirt, newspaper, hoarding--ask him to identify it to reinforce the idea. Hope these suggestions help you.

Great ideas Ankita thanks.

Aarti, play join the dots with him for these numbers... you make the dots and let him trace out. Doing this repeatedly might be helpful.

Aarti Mehan - Here are a couple of key concepts which are inter-related to numbers learning, and may help you introducing numbers and getting aditya to get familiar with them. 1. Associating numbers with count (2 balls, 3 packets, 6 caps etc) ; 2. Understanding the concept of ascending/descending or sequence - that is 3 comes after 2, 6 comes after 5, 4 comes before 5 and so on; 3. This one is most important - a child should be able to associate concepts with his/her surroundings. e. g. the numbers mentioned in the LIFT, Floor 2 comes before 3, 6 comes after 5 and so on. Once a child starts exploring these related concepts, than he/she is able to start making sense of actually-what the number is. So-in nut shell, my suggestion would be to introduce aditya to these concepts alongside, rather than memorizing the numbers. Hope this helps. Keep me posted. :)

Great ideas Nitin!