do you find that these nicknames then hinder their math communication later? My son struggles with the teens, would teaching him ten four then prevent him from committing fourteen to memory?

The children feel empowered choosing which way they want to count- Number Names or Nicknames.

It is helpful and very interesting. I am assuming since you continue to use the method, the children adapt quickly to this method and it works well. I also like that you simply say \”ten one\” rather than \”ten and one\”. This may make the most sense. Thank you for sharing this idea with the Early Math Counts readers.

Hi Jen,
Since nicknames are short for something, in our program we refer to the English rote counting words as the \”Nicknames\” since these short names don\’t tell us about the quantity of the number, i.e. the \”nickname\” eleven does not tell us about the quantity 10 and 1.
The \”Number names\” we use are modled after the Japanese language in which the word for 11 is the same as the word for 10 followed by the word for 1; the word for 12 is the word for 10 followed by the word for 2, etc. so when our children count using the \”Number Names\” they say, \”…nine, ten, ten one, ten two, ten three … ten nine, two ten, two ten one, two ten two, etc.
Hope this is helpful.
Lynn

This is terrific. Thank you Lynn
Are the \”nicknames\” different than what I suggested? We\’d love to hear.