It is possible to train children in fundamentals of mathematics since three-four years. Usually children of such age are already able to count consciously how many they see any given objects, but not just to show on them fingers, giving numbers as it is done by kids of two years. The main thing is to provide training so that it was feasible and brought to the child pleasure.
Begin training in the account with real examples. Going to walk, ask the child to count quantity of animals which he sees in the yard. Trees, at home, and quantity of windows in them, and even swallows on wires can also become a good bright example. Having come back home, count quantity of boots in a corridor, and ask the kid as far as it increased after you were undressed. It is possible to ask to count quantity of tableware on a table. Let the kid at first will count all forks and spoons separately, and then will put them together.
When training children, and especially small, it is necessary to do without game elements. Go with the child to the imagined shop, having called products and their quantity, previously necessary for you. After that accidentally "forget" about some product or call its incorrect quantity that the child corrected you. Thus, you will train not only it skills of the account, but also to develop memory. Process of "payment" has to take place too. Certainly, for this purpose it is necessary to use not the real money, and the invented "currency", for example – wrappers from candies, buttons or leaves of color paper. Give them to the child for the correct answers and the shown ingenuity.
For studying numbers from one to ten, use pictures with these figures which can be bought or made independently. The main thing – that they were beautiful, bright and all the time were before eyes of the kid. Draw the attention of the child to number "zero". Explain to the kid what it means "there is nothing".
After successful study pass to the next stage – studying dozens. It is the best of all to explain formation of such numbers on matches. At first lay out ten matches of one color, and from above – ten matches of other color. Spread them one after another and call separately each number. Explain that two dozen are twenty, three dozen – thirty and so on. Make sure that the child successfully acquired the obtained information then you teach it to put and to calculate the same as it was done at the previous stages.