I definitely don't think that you need to worry at this point. But I do want to ask if you think that your DS is a visual learner in general? I ask because if so, you could introduce a number line and/or a number grid (numbers 1-120, say). I know these are used in 1st grade, at least, to make counting, adding and subtracting ("jumping") more salient. Also, I don't know if this is helpful to you or not, but when I was little I was learning to play the piano and began to associate the number line with the piano keyboard, such that middle C was 0 and the numbers to the right of that were positive numbers and the numbers to the left of that were negative numbers, and the black keys roughly represented decimals. Perhaps this general idea could help visualize counting up/adding and counting down/subtracting without the need for "word stories"? Although, I have to say, it is usually more difficult for kids eventually to understand word problems than rote memorization, so I really think your DS will have a leg up in math later.
Last edited by mnmom23; 07/14/10 04:34 PM.
