Number recognition - learning to read numbers

1. Learning the numerals 1, 2 and then 3
For children who need the very basics. Starting with 1, 2 and increasing to 3 when ready.

Start by watching the video which is only short and chats about some of the activities that can be used to teach number recognition.

You are going to start with 1 and 2 only and once the child is secure move onto 3.

There are lots of activities and resources to help teach number recognition.

Starting with how we introduce the numbers 1 and 2, then moving into teaching a child how to sort two items by posting them into a box.

The learning is reinforced by focussed counting books called 'Sam books'. Instructions for making books.

Training video

Learning to recognise 1 & 2

How to introduce sorting

Using the counting books

A4 number mats 1, 2, 3

Sam's book - counting 1

Sam's book - counting to 2

Sam's book - counting to 3

Number recognition - learning to read numbers

2. Learning to recognise zero, then moving steadily up to 10 one number at a time.

There is no rush. Once you've tackled 1, 2, 3, we introduce 0, then move into 4, after a few weeks introduce 5 and keeping introducing the next numeral as the child is ready. It may take several months or, for some children, several years. Lots of over learning and repetition is needed.

We start with introducing matching and there are notes and a brief video to watch of the children taking part in the activity.

Sorting, we introduced this in the basics. we continue here, see notes.

As the child progresses we being to introduce matching of numeral to Numicon shape and using listening skills to match.

Resources to download are the visual representations of numbers 0 to 10 as a large A4 floor path and desktop number line. More counting books, one for each numeral 0 up to 10 and worksheets to work on writing numbers.

Notes on introducting matching

Video showing children matching

Continuing to introduce sorting

Matching and listening to numbers

More ideas and activities

A4 number path 0 to 10

Desk top number line 0 to 10

Sam's counting books 0 & 4 to 10

Writing numbers - worksheets

Number recognition - learning to read numbers

3. Moving on from 10 up to 100

Before you get going please watch the video on recognising numbers beyond 10, place value and order. It is about 10 minutes long.

Alongside recognising/reading numbers we also begin to include order of numbers and place value.

Teen numbers

We start with the teen numbers with lots of ideas and activities to help teach and overlearn these tricky numbers.

Two digit numbers up to 100

Activities to work on two digit numbers up to 100 including place value, ordering and learning about 'before' and 'after'.

Resources are a new number line 1 to 30 and then for working beyond 30 we start to use the 100 grid. To start off with use grid with numbers up to 30 only then move up to 50, then up to 100.

There are also details of two games I particularly like: 'up and down the number line' and 'bingo'

Video: Reading numbers beyond 10

Working on the teen numbers

A4 mats 11 to 20

Desktop number line 0 to 20

Number cards 0 to 20

Teaching two digit numbers

1 to 30 number line

100 grid

Game - up and down the number line

Bingo game

Number recognition - learning to read numbers

4. Three digit numbers

Many young people and adults with Down syndrome leave education unable to recognise or read a three digit number. Here we introduce numbers in their hundreds up to one thousand.

We also consider place value and ordering of numbers up to 1000. Resources are not provided but suggested in the teaching notes, for example using Trump cards.

Teaching notes

Number recognition - learning to read numbers

1. Learning the numerals 1, 2 and then 3 For children who need the very basics. Starting with 1, 2 and increasing to 3 when ready.

B

1. Learning the numerals 1, 2 and then 3
For children who need the very basics. Starting with 1, 2 and increasing to 3 when ready.