How to develop mathematical skills from a young age

Mathematics is not only an important part of the school curriculum, but it's also a fundamental skill that enables us to perform all sorts of everyday tasks. It's never too early to introduce children to mathematical concepts; early childhood is a crucial period for brain development, so it's important to consider how you can help children acquire mathematical skills.

When planning activities, aim to make them as fun as possible; the more fun children have, the more engaged they will be. This will lead to better learning and, most importantly, positive associations with learning mathematical concepts. All of this will help lay a solid foundation for the next stage of their education.

Here are some activity ideas to encourage the development of different types of mathematical skills:

Count

Helping children recognize and count the numbers from 1 to 10 will be very useful when they start school. Counting can be easily integrated into most daily activities (for example, counting cookies, building blocks, pencils), but there are many other ways to develop this skill:

• Singing songs: many songs use numbers, for example, “1, 2, 3 we will go to the woods”. Music is particularly effective for assimilating new knowledge.
• Use tactile materials: there are many books or games with a rough surface that you can run your finger over to learn numbers, for example Montessori educational figures.
• Playing card and board games: any game that involves rolling dice and counting spaces (for example, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo) will help children learn numbers. Other games such as dominoes are also excellent for number recognition.

Sort

Being able to classify items is a key aspect of mathematics. Matching and sorting, for example by size, shape, or color, helps children understand the world and develop their logical thinking. Here are some ways to support these skills:

• Set up sorting activities: there are many variations to explore, but you can, for example, ask children to sort crayons by color, pasta by shape, or building blocks by size.
• THE sorting games There are many educational games designed to help develop sorting skills.
• Incorporate sorting into other activities: ask children to sort objects when they tidy up, or integrate sorting into nature walks (for example, collecting leaves and then sorting them by shape, color, or size).

Recognizing the consequences

Learning to recognize sequences is an important part of developing reasoning skills. There are many ways to support young children with sequence recognition, which fall into two categories: finding sequences and creating sequences. Here are some ideas for each:

• Finding patterns: Help children look for patterns in everything around them: on clothes, in photos, while you're out walking, etc. Talk to them about colors, shapes, and sequences to help them understand patterns. You can also explore more abstract forms of patterns, for example, in their daily routine.
• Create sequences: Let children be creative with stickers, stamps or beads to create sequences; clap your hands or beat out a rhythm, creating a sequence; ask children to walk across the room or garden making a series of repeated movements (e.g., jumping, taking a big step).

Recognizing shapes

The ability to identify shapes is the foundation of learning geometry. Before starting primary school, most children should be able to recognize the basic shapes: the circle, square, rectangle, and triangle. There are many activities to support this learning, for example:

• Go on a shape hunt: at daycare, in the garden or on a walk, ask children to look for shapes in their everyday environment (for example, a car wheel is a circle, a door is a rectangle).
• Get creative with shapes: use geometric shape stamps or cookie cutters for creative activities.
• Shape sorting and matching games: many resources are available for working on pattern recognition

Measure and compare

Determining whether one object is large, heavy, or fast, and whether another is small, light, or slow in comparison, can be a really fun and engaging aspect of learning math. There are many activities you can do with young children, using both standard and non-standard units of measurement:

• Cooking: choose a simple recipe and ask the children to help measure the ingredients
• Experiment with different ways of measuring: calculate the length of the garden by counting steps, using a measuring tape, or using a broom.
• Organize a building competition: ask the children to build towers with blocks, then count the number of blocks to measure and compare their height.
• Play with stopwatches: time the children racing, or doing certain activities, and compare their speed
• Guess the volume: Fill different containers with water and have the children guess which one contains the most and which one contains the least. Use a measuring cup to record the volumes and reveal the results.

This article has been translated and adapted by us; find out more the original article in English «How to Develop Early Numeracy Skills».

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