How Many Ways Can You Practice Math?

Babies and toddlers’ brains are ready to learn small numbers and simple concepts like “more” and “less.” As our children grow into preschoolers (ages 3-5) they are able to understand bigger numbers and more complex concepts like “how many” and simple addition and subtraction.There are lots of fun ways to help them learn these concepts.One is to sing songs, poems or play finger games with math concepts embedded in them. Look for songs like Roll Over (10 in the Bed) or The Ants Go Marching One by One that include one or more of the following in them:

• Words relating to numbers or quantity
• A counting sequence (1,2,3 or 3,2,1, etc.)
• Addition or subtraction of objects

Another way to help your preschooler think about math is by asking “how many” questions. Make sure you relate these questions to what you are doing in the moment with your child.

• How many letters are in your name?
• How many wheels are on your bike?
• How many grapes are on your plate?

These types of questions help children practice counting and thinking about number concepts.You can also add simple addition and subtraction into these conversations (it’s important to start by showing your child these changes by adding and removing objects. Preschoolers are not able to learn these skills in their heads.)

• If I give you three more grapes, then how many grapes are on your plate?
• Now what if you eat two?

Play simple board games. Practicing counting the spots on the dice and then the spaces on the game board is great practice for math. Candyland is good starter game and a popular choice.There are so many ways to make basic math concepts a part of your daily life and give your preschooler the foundation they need to start kindergarten ready to learn. See “how many” you can come up with!This is the third in a series of articles created from Head Start’s High Five Mathemetize curriculum. You can find more information on teaching your young child math at Head Start’s website for families.