Last time we talked about learning to count. Now that your child is familiar with that skill, it is time to teach her to read her numbers. This is actually not much different than learning to read the letters of the alphabet, and might actually be easier, since the meaning of the numbers will be clearer to many children than the meaning of letters.
This activity is best for children old enough for some formal learning time. Littler children can be exposed to numbers through counting books, number lines in their room, and having numbers pointed out to them.
Write the numbers on large file cards. Use the same bold color on each card and write it largely and clearly, making the number look the way it does in math books. (We tend to develop quirks in the way we write, so avoid those.) Make at least ten or twenty of each number, always in the same color. If you use different colored cards or writing, your child will learn to sort by color, not number. Every card should be identical except for the actual number written on it. Start with 0-5, gradually adding more cards. Also gather a stack of small toys, all in one category, such as toy cars or the little figures you buy of movie characters. Pennies also work.
First, give your child the O card. Does your child know what zero means? If not, don't start until she has had exposure to the concept of nothing. When you are sorting, say "We have three blue socks, two yellow socks, but zero pink socks. We have no pink socks in our pile."
Back to the lesson. Tell your child that this card has a number written on it, and the number is called zero. Let her trace the number with her finger. (If she already knows her letters, she may tell you it is the letter O. Tell her she is right. The number zero and the letter O are written the same way. Then ask, "If you had zero toy cars, how many cars would you have?" Ask her to give you zero cars. (She might think this is silly, which is fine. The more fun this is the better, so take time out to giggle.) Ask her to name all the things you can think of that you have zero of-polar bears, million dollar bills, real planets, dinosaurs, blue bananas, etc. This is fun to do as you get sillier and sillier, but the very nature of its silliness will help her to remember what zero means. Once you are tired of that game, return to the lesson. Ask her to name the number on the card again. Once she remembers the name of the number and how many items it takes to make zero, move on to the number one.
Do exactly as you did for the zero, but discuss the differences in the way the two numbers look. This time, of course, she will be able to give you one toy car. Lay out the zero card. "How many cars make zero? That's right. Zero means nothing, so we can't put any cars there. What is this number? You are right. It is the number one. How many cars make one? Put the car below the card that shows us a one."
Now that you have the concept down, it's time to memorize those two numbers. Give her a stack of zeroes and ones, all mixed up. Let her sort them out. If she has never sorted, this might be a challenge. You may need to back up and teach sorting, by having her sort out different kinds of toys, such as cars and pennies. Start sorting the numbers by laying out a card with a zero on it. Say, "Let's find all the cards with the number zero on them. Here is one to get us started. We'll put all the zeroes here." You will probably need to help with this process at first. If she holds up a one, ask, "Is that a zero?" If she says yes, say, "It's hard to remember, isn't it? This is a one, so let's put it over here. We'll start a pile for ones." If she says no, just tell her she is right, and suggest she set it aside. (Keeping the pile of ones away from the central work area reminds her that you are mainly working on zeroes right now.) Sort them all out until she is finished. Then stop for the day. (Your lessons should be very short-no more than a few minutes at first, and never more than ten minutes until the child is old enough and interested enough to want to stay longer. If your child seems bored, stop early, particularly if she is a preschooler. You might be trying to increase your kindergartner's attention span, and so may keep to a set time, but it should still be short.
Once this is pretty easy, you can simply give her the stack and ask her to sort out the ones and zeros. This is harder than just finding the zeroes in the pile. Add one new number at a time, never adding a new one until you are certain she has mastered the previous numbers. Start each session with a review to find out. Have a stack of all the numbers you have learned-perhaps three of each-all mixed up. Hold them up and ask her to name them, one at a time. Praise the right answers (but don't get hysterical-she should work for inner satisfaction for the most part), and don't make a fuss over the wrong ones. Just tell her that was a good guess, but the answer is two. Remember, you are making the knowledge available. She will learn it when she is ready. Learning it at three or four or five isn't a matter of intelligence, just interest.