Dot-to-Dot Games for Children
Dot-to-dot games can be important teaching tools. Games that require children to connect dots not only assist them with learning how to count numbers, but also help them develop hand-to-eye coordination. The act of connecting the dots allows children to learn in a way that's fun and enjoyable, without allowing them to focus on the potential difficulty of the lesson.
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Resources
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There are plenty of resources for teachers and parents who want to teach children through dot-to-dot games, including activity booklets found in local bookstores and libraries. There are also many free resources available from online sources, such as Papa Jan and Kids Craft. Children will think they're just having fun, while you'll know that they're learning something as they play games.
Counting
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A common dot-to-dot activity includes children connecting numbered dots to create an image of a familiar object or animal. When the dots are connected, it produces a fully recognizable picture. This is useful because when a mistake is made, it's obvious, since the image won't be complete or recognizable. Children are then forced to go back to the numbers and use them to reconstruct the image the way it's meant to be presented. In essence, they learn to count by problem solving and learning that sequence is important in counting. Images can start off simple and progress to be more advanced as the children get the hang of it.
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Alphabet
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Dot-to-dot activities can also be used to teach children how to use the alphabet. Connecting the dots to the next letter in the alphabet sequence is a good way to assist them in learning a long sequence of characters that may initially be confusing for them. Connecting characters works much in the same away as it does with numbers. Correctly connecting letters to the next ones in the sequence, i.e., A to B to C, will construct a familiar image.
Count by Twos
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More advanced dot-to-dot activities will include teaching the children how to count by twos, threes or higher. Instead of connecting the dots to the next number in the sequence, the dots are connected to the next number in the increment. For example, the next number after 14 would be 16. Learning how to count by twos, threes, fours or fives will teach children that there are faster ways to count large numbers than by counting by one.
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