Almost every one of us from childhood remembers such an element as counting sticks. These were multi-colored plastic or wooden plates, which were painted in various colors. With the help of such a simple invention, most of the children learned to count, distinguish colors, create compositions. But now we dig a little deeper and try to figure out how counting sticks can help the child develop abstract thinking, form basic preschool knowledge and become smarter and more inventive every day.
It all starts with the right approach.
In order for a modern child, who is literally drowning in a variety of different toys, to be interested in such simple objects as multi-colored thin plates, it is worth cheating a little. So, the first thing parents should do is to assign the adjective “magic” to the wands. To enhance the result, they can be stored in an unusual box (if you have a girl) or in one of the toy big cars (in the case of a boy). Do not forget to always pay attention to the crumbs that counting sticks can teach him how to count, draw, and depict various figures. Classes that take place with their participation should always be interesting for the baby. Make sure that he does not get bored, that he really likes this process and enthusiastically explores new horizons of knowledge.
Brief instructions for use
In general, we can say that counted multi-colored sticks develop far from one skill in a growing child. Among these can be called fine motor skills of hands, logic, imagination, in addition, they help the baby become more focused, assiduous. Abstract thinking also becomes richer and brighter , fantasy and creativity develop. You can use this child’s device if we learn to count to 10, study the alphabet, compose syllables and words. Also, counting sticks are suitable for modeling various figures, drawings. Of these, you can make a boat, a house, even mom and dad. Also, children are interested in sorting sticks by color and size (if they have a different size).
Motility of the hands in infancy
From nine months of a baby's life, you can safely take on the improvement of the motor skills of his pens. At this age, the baby begins to form a tweezers grip (he begins to take objects with his thumb), because the task of parents is to improve this natural and vital skill. In this case, the best assistant will be counting sticks, which are of small length and very small thickness. In a stick box, cut a small hole with a knife, then turn out all the contents in front of the baby. Let him put the sticks into the box one after another, picking them up with his fingers. When the child begins to grow up, the game can be diversified by the fact that it will now take place for a while. The kid will have to put the maximum number of plates in the box for a certain period.
Learning colors
For the kid, games with counting sticks will become very entertaining, where they need to be sorted by color. You can also begin to teach a child at the age of nine months or one year. To begin, select the plates of two colors, mix them and show the baby exactly how to lay them out. You can simply create two heaps, for example, for blue and red. You can make the game more interesting - offer your child to put blue sticks in a box of the same color, the same thing with red ones. Such an exercise affects the development of the baby’s sensory system. He begins to perceive new material faster and processes it better. Also during the game, the child will learn to compare and make the right decision. When you see that there is success in your work, add another color.
Custom Combinations
As a rule, at the age of one year, children begin to master such material as plasticine. At first, the kids sculpt some abstract and obscure figures out of him, but if you help them a little in this creative process, then the success will be much more noticeable. It is in this work that it is possible to use counting sticks favorably, and we will now tell how to do this. A color matching wand can become a tree trunk or flower stem. From a large number of plates, you can make a fence in a plasticine house. Also, sticks can be used as spines for a hedgehog, arms and legs of a person, paws of a dog or cat, and so on. It all depends on your imagination and, of course, on the abstract thinking of your child.
We draw with the help of sticks
It happens that adults try to teach a child to draw certain things, objects or even depict something on paper, but their efforts are in vain. But you should remember, even if the kid does not show special talents in the field of painting, he simply must transmit and be able to portray the simplest objects and phenomena. This fundamentally affects his abstract thinking and perception. Therefore, now we will add various figures from counting sticks and start with the simplest. Draw the simplest picture on paper, not painting over it, but leaving only the contours. Now invite the child to lay out sticks on these lines. Pay attention to the fact that both strips must exactly match. You can complicate the task with the help of flowers. For example, draw a brown Christmas tree trunk and green branches. Now let the little one pick up the plates of the same color and lay them on top.
Head to Math
Every parent knows that counting sticks are one of the best helpers if we learn to count to 10 or study geometry. Surprisingly, simple records that resemble matches serve as the best teachers for children and perfectly develop abstract thinking and understanding of this material. How to teach a kid to just count - this is understandable to everyone. You just need to lay out the desired number of sticks, add extra to them or subtract. But if you study geometry, then there are much more possibilities. From the plates you can make figures, change them, while doing this by moving only one of their sides. By the way, to explain to the baby what it is - the side, it is possible in this way. Likewise, knowledge is invested about what an angle is, parallel sides, perpendicular and other elements of geometry.
We form didactic skills of the kid
The real find for the younger generation is the counting sticks of Kuisener. They are a combination of color and number, which, according to experts, allows the child to quickly and effectively learn the basics of mathematics and logic. In addition, they perfectly develop didactic skills, improve hand motor skills and improve abstract thinking. If you look from a mathematical position, then these sticks are a set in which order and equivalence are tracked. Thus, modeling the number with the help of this “constructor”, the child begins, without noticing it, to solve simple mathematical problems. In his understanding, the idea of a number is formed on the basis of measurement.
Playing with Kuizener’s invention
If you have a very tiny child (a year and a half), then Kuisener’s colored counting sticks will only serve as a designer for now. However, we still use it with a hint of math, using the following method. You can make a ladder out of sticks. Below we place the longest of them, set a little shorter above, then even shorter and so on. Also, the plates can be placed in different ways. As a result, they can have the shape of a pyramid, or they can be fitted to one side. This will give the child the opportunity to understand what it means more and less, what it means to be “between” or “on both sides”. Similarly, you can compose any composition and gradually complicate them, watching the development of your child.
Conclusion
Counted multi-colored sticks are a real find for every family where a child grows. With their help, you can teach your baby any basic skills, starting with the simplest - hand motility, ending with preschool mathematical knowledge. You can use simple sticks in the process of learning crumbs, or you can buy Kuisener counting sticks, which are considered much more effective and contribute to the better development of a small personality. Therefore, invent various games, train your child’s imagination and watch how he literally improves and becomes smarter and smarter before your eyes.