The number ZERO

Before we jumped in on the formation process, I thought it would be a good idea to review the concept of zero. So, we played a little game of “How Many?”

How many pink dinosaurs live in our garage?

How many pianos are on your head?

How many buffalo did you eat for breakfast?

You get the point. Make your questions have an obvious “ZERO!” answer so she’ll get the fact that “zero” means “absolutely none at all.” Plus, this game is good for lots of giggles!

Then, before I taught her to form the numeral herself, I let her handle a foam zero to see how the shape felt.

I had her look at it and trace it with her fingers to cement its configuration in her mind.

Then, it was time for her to learn to form her own zero. We sang this rhyme while she traced the figure in a shallow cake pan I filled with play sand:

Round and round and round we go;

Close it up to make zero!

(Make sure your child understands the importance of beginning all numerals at the TOP.)

As you can imagine, Remi loved this. Of course, once the sand was available, she didn’t want to get her hands out of it! No big deal—I kept a bath towel under the pan the whole time, and just shook it off outside when she was done. It kept her busy and happy for quite some time, and sand play is an excellent sensory experience for young children. (Throw in some measuring cups or scoops or other pouring devices for extra fun!)

We also formed a zero from Play-Doh for another 3-D version. This was pretty easy for her to do by rolling up “a snake” and connecting the ends. She chanted our little rhyme again as she traced the dough circle.

(I found the number mats here and printed and laminated them so we can use them with Play-Doh, dry-erase markers, or whatever other media we like.)

Enjoy learning together!