Early literacy is, of course, a vital part of learning in early childhood. But sometimes we forget about the importance of numbers and mathematics, or early numeracy. We all know that math is used in everyday life, so creating and fostering a foundation in early numeracy will only help children be successful later in school and in adulthood.
The good thing is developing early numeracy is simple! Counting and sorting are easy first steps. Learning shapes, comparing sizes, recognizing patterns, understanding spatial awareness, and measuring are also math concepts. These can all be incorporated into everyday life with simple activities like:
- Count on fingers and toes
- Make a pattern with blocks and have your child guess which comes next
- Make a growth chart for your child to show measurements
- Look for shapes around the house
- Sort objects into different sets (put all the red ones together or make different piles for different sizes)
- Point out numbers you see in the store or when playing outside
- Talk about the position of things (this toy is on top of the other, this toy is inside a box, etc.)
- Read books with numbers and math in them! This means early numeracy and early literacy can work together and your child can develop both skills at once.
Check out this list for books that teach different early numeracy and math concepts, perfect for little kids.
Written by Lisa Clark, Youth Collection Librarian
Add a comment to: Early Numeracy