Early
exposure to numbers—much like early exposure to words—gives children an
important foundation for success in school and in life. Counting with
young children increases their “numeracy,” just as reading to young
children improves their literacy.
But
numeracy means much more than just knowing how to count. Basic number
sense helps children recognize patterns, identify quantities and learn
shapes. These skills translate into everyday tasks like counting out
change, telling time or reading recipes. Young children who are taught
numeracy learn to see numerical value in the world around them. And it
appears that children who have the strongest number sense in
kindergarten do best in other subjects in school later on.
Children
who begin elementary school without basic math concepts struggle to
understand math as they age. In fact, recent research has shown that
children who begin first grade with a numeracy gap have a hard time
catching up to their peers.
New
studies show that a sense of numbers and quantities starts to develop
very early in life. Babies and toddlers begin to learn early
mathematical concepts from conversations and interactions with their
parents and caregivers. Much like learning new words, math concepts are
best learned when parents and caregivers repeat them to children every
day in conversation.
For
example, PBS Parents recommends that parents try activities like
counting fruit and vegetables in the supermarket, playing card games,
and learning how to play an instrument in order to teach young children
important math concepts. For very young babies, parents and caregivers
can point out shapes, sort objects into size order and count toys
together.
Learn more:
- A factsheet with valuable tips for how to incorporate math concepts into everyday activities, from California Mathematics Council.
- PBS Parents offers several ways to instill a love of math in young children.
In The News:
- “Kids and Math: Teaching it Early, At Home and School, is Critical”, San Jose Mercury News (op-ed by Liz Simons), December 9, 2013.
- “The Importance of Talking Math With Kids,” Annie Murphy Paul, January 13, 2014.
- “Math Skills: What Scientists Can Teach Parents About Kids’ Developing Minds”, Huffington Post, March 25, 2013.
