Counting From One to Five by Finger Gestures

Children are using early math skills throughout their daily routines and activities. The most basic skill is counting, that is, determining the number of elements in a collection of objects. Learning to count is the very first step of a child entering into mathematics, and it constitutes the most fundamental idea of that discipline. Early exposure to mathematics could contribute more to later academic achievement than early reading or attention training.

By age 2 to 3 years, most children are comfortable in counting up to five. Some of them may even count up to ten or twenty, though they may not always be correct. It is fun and useful for kids to practice this new skill by counting different objects in their environment. Objects, such as apples and balls, could be used as the visual representations of numbers. Fingers work the same way, and have the advantage of almost always being available for practice. Through practising, kids would understand the abstract concept of number: representing the quantity of various objects.

This worksheet shows how to count from one to five, corresponding with a group of objects (cartoons of apples) and the finger gestures. This will help children develop early counting skills. It can be accompanied by real objects to aid comprehension.