Counting Woes

Both sitting on the floor - or in Charity's case - bouncing, I sit and listen to Charity counting to 70 with her big brother Jacob.   I'd like to say this is a heartwarming event, but...

For some reason, she does not like to count. She CAN do it, recognizes the numbers fairly easily, recalls which ones come after the other, but.... getting her quickly through this task is excruciating.

They've been working since 9:30 this morning.  It's now 11:13.  Her goal is to take the index cards with the numbers 1-70 written on them and put them in order - while counting aloud.

Not saying she doesn't get distracted and meander off task, but still.... this should not take the whole morning. The remainder of her school will be done in a flash.

So, why oh why, the challenge with counting?

Guess that's my cue to find more creative ways to get her counting.  A friend recently posted pictures of her son counting teddy grahams - maybe that'll work?  She can eat one after every ten she counts.

Maybe she could bounce as she counts - one bounce per number.  After all, she bounces all day long.

Count the number of steps to the bathroom - since she spends a lot of time in there when she should be, well.. counting.

The ideas are endless.  Just one of the many wonderful blessings of homeschooling.  We can alter what we do to meet the needs of our kiddos at any given point in time.

Counting the number of bites it takes her to finish her breakfast.  Hmmmm... that section of math could be done before we even start the lesson.

Tomorrow's plan already in motion.

PS. Since writing this a few days ago, we have implemented giving Charity a Reece Pieces candy for every 10 she counts -- she readily, easily, and happily counted to 90 this morning in just a few minutes -- only as long as it took her to place the index cards in order.  Excitedly, she then announced that next school day she would be counting to 100.  Go figure.