When kids with learning disabilities practice counting down, they are practicing the skill that they will need to master subtraction.
How many days until the end of the school year? If you ask most kids they can tell you. Some of them can tell you the number of days and the number of hours. Use this opportunity to focus on an important math skill.
Counting down (sometimes called counting back) is the key skill in subtraction. Often, teachers use a number line to teach the concept. Think of this example: 10 – 3 = 7. Kids start by finding the number 10 in the line. Then they count backwards three points to find the answer.
Kids won’t always have a number line, and we want counting on the fingers to diminish. As with any skill, practice is key to mastering it. Look for other opportunities to count down. Here are some ideas:
- Count down to the start of a race.
- When playing hide-and-seek, count down instead of counting up to ten.
- Count down the number of days until a family trip or until a houseguest arrives.
- Count back with money. Talk about going to the store with ten dollars. If you buy a toy for four dollars, how much will be left?
What things will you count down with your child this summer?
