My son is struggling with counting. How can I help him?


By the time most children are five years of age, they are able to count to 20. If your son is still struggling with counting, try making a game out of counting objects throughout the day – apples at a grocery store or the number of seconds it takes for the traffic light to turn green – and count out loud with your child. You can also help him learn to count by playing board games that require children to count spaces on the game board. One of my favorite board games that helps children with counting is “Count Your Chickens” by Peaceable Kingdom. When you practice counting with your son, be sure to show them that each object is only counted once and that the last number represents the quantity of the set.

Jennie Ito, Ph.D.

Child Development Expert

Jennie Ito is a mother of two and a child development consultant who specializes in children’s play and toys. Before becoming a consultant for LeapFrog, she was an intern at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and later worked as a content expert for the Association of Children’s Museum’s “Playing for Keeps” Play Initiative. Jennie earned her doctorate degree in developmental psychology at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.