ABSTRACT
Counting is the basis of much of young children’s mathematics. The development of oral counting skills begins very early—in some cases even before a child is two (Baroody & Price, 1983; Fuson, 1988; Fuson & Hall, 1983; Gelman & Gallistel, 1978; Wagner & Walters, 1982). At first, counting may be nothing more than a “sing-song” (Ginsburg, 1982)—a pattern of sounds uttered without any apparent purpose. In time, however, children extend this skill to the task of object counting. Moreover, children count or use their mental representation of the number sequence to compare collections or numbers. Difficulties with counting skills can seriously hamper a child’s mathematical progress in school. It is important, then, to identify and remedy young children’s counting difficulties quickly. This chapter focuses on the sources of common difficulties and some possible remedies in three areas: oral counting, object counting, and numerical comparison.
