Fostering Your Child's Natural Math Skills
Preschoolers are natural mathematicians. They explore objects and solve problems, and they can understand far more complex math concepts than you might think! The following are basic math skills you can help your child learn. Try to incorporate them into your everyday routine.
Develop counting skills. Counting is about learning the sequence of number names and then using numbers to identify quantities. Preschoolers love to count all kinds of things and can often count to high numbers (it gets easier after they learn the first 20). Encourage your child to try counting by twos, fives, and tens. Start off by helping your child count books at the library, cars on the street, or blocks you can count in groups.
Learn about numbers. The concept of a number is the recognition that numbers and their names exist and that amounts are constant, that is, five apples are the same amount as five fingers. When your child first understands what "two" or "three" of something means she will point this out everywhere. Help her use and compare numbers and ask questions, such as "How many people can sit at this table?" Display numbers and their names, and label amounts of things in different places around your home. Your child can also match an object in one group with an object in another group, such as a chair for each person, a napkin for each plate, etc. This is a way to practice one-to-one correspondence.
Understand addition and subtraction. As your child plays, he naturally begins to separate groups of objects and combine them again. This is the foundation for learning addition and subtraction. You can help your child understand and test these concepts as he adds blocks to towers, eats three out of four crackers, and adds or subtracts friends while playing "Duck, Duck, Goose."
Learn about measurement. Children are always comparing the amounts and sizes of things, such as height, length, weight, or volume. Take advantage of daily activities to find out who can run farther, which ball is the heaviest, or which bucket holds more sand. Help your child create her own tools and strategies, such as using paper clips or the length of their hands or feet for measuring. Work together to figure out how many paper clips it takes to measure the length of a book. You can also introduce standard measurement tools, such as a ruler, and measure common objects around her room.
Explore geometry. Preschoolers learn geometry as they observe and explore the shapes and the relationships of objects in their world. You can help point out and name two-dimensional shapes (circles, squares, triangles, etc.) and three-dimensional shapes (spheres, cubes, pyramids, etc.) in buildings, signs, household objects, and toys. Ask your child to compare the number of sides and the corners of shapes that interest him -- and don't hesitate to introduce new vocabulary words!
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