Numeral recognition means identifying the written symbols 1 through 10 and knowing which quantity each represents. Children must connect the spoken word 'five' to the symbol '5' and to a group of five objects. This bridges oral counting to written mathematics.
Flash cards, number books, and classroom number walls help. Pair each numeral with pictures of that many objects. Have children trace and copy numerals while saying the number name aloud.
You already know how to count to 10 — you can say "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten" in order and point to one object for each word. Now you are learning that each of those number words has a symbol that stands for it. The symbol for "one" is 1. The symbol for "five" is 5. The symbol for "ten" is 10. These symbols are called numerals, and they are how numbers are written down so other people can read them.
Think of numerals like letters in your name: each one has its own special shape that you recognize on sight. The numeral 2 has a curved top and a flat bottom. The numeral 5 has a flat top, a belly that curves to the right, and a small curve at the base. The numeral 8 looks like two circles stacked on top of each other. Over time, you will recognize each numeral instantly — the same way you recognize the first letter of your name without having to think about it.
The most important skill to practice is matching each numeral to its quantity. When you see the symbol 3, you should immediately picture three things — three apples, three fingers, three dots. One way to practice is to look at a numeral and hold up that many fingers. Another is to match numeral cards to groups of objects: put the card that says 4 next to a pile of four blocks. Each time you make that connection, the symbol becomes more familiar.
Some numerals can look confusing at first. The 6 and 9 look like each other flipped upside down. The 2 and 5 can appear similar when written quickly. Reversing numerals while you are learning to write them is completely normal and gets better with practice. Every number you see in the world — on a clock, a page, a house number, or a score in a game — is built from the ten symbols you are learning right now. Knowing them opens up all of written mathematics.