If your toddler is starting to talk, some of the first words in their repertoire are likely to be the numbers. I for one was especially proud when science baby learned all his numbers from 1 to 10. He could finish off a sequence, and even say them backwards (countdown to blast-off, anyone?!). But it turns out, saying the numbers isn’t the same as truly using them. Real counting, where kids actually end up understanding how many things they have, is a whole other skill, and it’s going to take a bit of teaching and time before they acquire it.
It’s still early days, but we’re always looking for ways to enrich our toddler’s life with subtle learning opportunities, so here’s how we’ve been using a simple teaching principle to help Science Baby learn this essential early maths skill.
Finding Meaning in Abstraction
Children learn to speak by copying the words we use, and through repeated association, they’ll eventually figure out that a particular sequence of sounds has a meaning – whether it be the name of something, a descriptive word, or a doing word. Over time, they can piece together those sentence components into simple meaningful sentences: “Mummy get pink tractor”, etc
But numbers are different. To all intents and purposes, they are an abstract concept. Kids can learn the sequence, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5…”, and so on, but it’s not immediately clear what that sequence is referring to. After all, we’re not always counting the same thing: a “2” might refer to two cars, two people, two legs, or two more pieces of brocolli! For a child still grappling with the nuances of language, understanidng why the same noise can apply to all of those things can be a step to far.
And so, even though parents (us included) might be over the moon when their child can count to 10, or even sing the alphabet song, that’s not the same as being able to count from 1 to 10, or be able to recognise the letters or use them to create words. Kids might recite numbers like a song but have no idea what “three apples” actually means.
So teachers, parents, and caregivers need to go a step beyond their usual word modelling if they want to teach a toddler to count. Nearly 50 years ago, child development researchers identified some basic mathematical principles that a child needed to grasp in order to count:
- One-to-one Correspondence – Each object being counted must be assigned one number, and that number can’t be used elsewhere
- Stable order – The number sequence follows the same order every time. It’s always 1-2-3, and never 2-1-3, or any other variation
- Cardinality – The last number that you count is the total number of things you have.
- Abstraction – You can count anything in the same way, regardless of whether it can be touched or seen, even imaginary obects.
- Order Irrelevance – The order that things are counted in doesn’t affect the total number that you have.
Importantly, none of these are skills that can be learned by rote memorisation. Instead, they’re principles that toddlers learn through doing it, through interaction and repetition.
The fundamentals might be half a century old, but they’re still as useful today as they were then. And I know, reading a list like that might seem like a lot of pedegogical jargon. But you don’t have to be sharp-witted early years practitioner to teach these principles. You just need to break the counting process into three basic steps.
Three Simple Steps to Teach Toddlers How to Count
1. Count each thing once
Help your child understand that each item in a group gets counted just once. This can be done by pointing to or touching each object individually.
🧸 “Let’s count the teddies. Touch each one as we go!”
This tactile link between objects and words supports both memory and understanding.
2. Say the numbers in order
Next, model counting in sequence “1, 2, 3…” and so on, as you touch each object. Over time, toddlers internalise the pattern of number words and begin to connect it to real quantities.
🧦 “One sock… two socks… three socks!”
Even if they don’t get it perfectly at first, they’re absorbing the rhythm and logic.
3. Stop when you run out of things
When you reach the last object, stop counting. This final number tells you “how many” there are. It’s a subtle but crucial lesson in cardinality—the idea that the last number in a count represents the total.
🍎 “One, two, three apples! We have three!”
With those three steps in place, you can reinforce the ideas of abstraction and order irrelevance by counting things in the real world. Count everything. Count things in front of your child, and with your child. Count things, move them around, and count them again. Repetition is what will eventually make the logic sink in.
Celebrate Each Success Along The Way
Building these foundational maths skills doesn’t just help toddlers learn the party trick of being able to count, it also lays the groundwork for more advanced maths concepts like addition, subtraction, and measurement later on, all of which will be important life skills. But I would say more importantly, it builds confidence. When children can reliably match numbers to objects, they start to feel successful, capable, and curious.
Rather than waiting until they “get it” perfectly, try celebrating each individual skill:
They recited numbers in order? 🎉
They touched each object while you counted? 🎉
They pointed all by themselves? 🎉
These moments are small wins, and they add up. Like all aspects of development, counting is learned in layers. By slowing down and breaking the process into pieces, you help your child practise each part with purpose. There is nothing so motivating as pride in our achievements.
And they will feed off your positive vibes too. Celebrating each success gives them the confidence to keep trying, and maybe next time they’ll surprise you with a new skill!
Of course, if your child is reciting numbers without understanding quantity yet, there’s nothing to worry about. Even thorugh pre-school, that can be completely normal. Many toddlers spend a long time counting to ten before they truly grasp what “three” means. As with talking, walking, and everything else, they’ll get there in their own time. Your job is to keep modelling, encouraging, and making it fun.
Because in the end, this isn’t just about maths. It’s about connection, curiosity, and the joy of learning together, one number at a time.
The Science Baby 
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