Making Math Fun Makes for Better Learning
Math
is everywhere. It is an important part of the way we communicate, and
helps us make sense of our world. Children who are exposed to math at an
early age do well in school and beyond. For very young children who are
learning as much as they can every day, math can be joyful, and there
are many ways that parents can build these important skills early on.
Just
as with early literacy, early numeracy – or the ability to understand
math concepts such as numbers, size order, and shapes – is learned
through frequent communication with parents and caregivers from birth.
And the more math concepts young children understand and are comfortable
with before they enter kindergarten, the better off they are. Many
studies suggest that children who enter school understanding math
concepts like counting, shapes, and numerical order are more likely to
succeed in all academic subjects of school later on, including reading.
According to
Deborah Stipek, an early math expert and advisor to
Too Small to Fail,
children learn early math concepts best when math is made fun for them.
She recommends using every day activities, like counting toes during
bath time or the buttons on a shirt when getting dressed, to learn
numbers. She also suggests that parents play fun math games with
toddlers, like hunting for shapes in objects around the house.
Regardless
of our own feelings for math, it’s important and easy to find the joy
of math with young kids – and in the process, help prepare them for a
lifetime of math learning.
Resources for Sharing:
- Here are several tips for how to make math fun for young children, from Deborah Stipek and Too Small to Fail.
- This article from NAEYC explains why early math is important for very young children, and how parents can help teach them in fun ways.
- Other tips for parents from ZERO TO THREE on how to make math fun.
Video
Sesame Street muppets share math games and silly shenanigans in this series of videos!
>>
A Very Big Week
When
parents begin reading to their children every day from birth, they help
build vocabulary and improve their children’s ability to learn. This is
the message that millions of people across the country will hear this
year, thanks to a new joint effort between Too Small to Fail and the American Academy of Pediatrics, Scholastic Inc., Reach Out and Read, Text4baby, and Sesame Workshop.
The
news was announced yesterday at the Clinton Global Initiative America
in Denver by Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and spread
quickly with
news that
pediatricians and other health care providers across the country will
distribute free books during well-baby exams, and urge parents to read,
talk, and sing to their babies from birth.
You can read more about the partnership effort
here. You can also pick up tips about how to incorporate talking, reading and singing into every day activities on our
Facebook page, and by visiting
www.talkingisteaching.org.
Special News
We
are thrilled to feature special video messages from President Barack
Obama, Secretary Clinton, Senator Bill Frist and Cindy McCain urging
parents to talk, read and sing to their children to help close the word
gap. Watch the videos, and then share widely!
>>
Hillary Clinton
