Few adults would readily say, “I’m not very good at reading.” Yet many parents openly say, in front of their preschool age children, “I’m no good at math.” To get math into your everyday routine for your preschooler, start by recognizing the attitude shift you might need to respect and honor the subject, so your child sees it as a normal part of every activity.
If you are confounded to identify math in your day, you will struggle to explain it to preschool age kids. The U.S. Department of Education encourages parents to consider all these facets:
When you step back to look at that list and compare it to your day’s activities, you will find countless (or countable!) opportunities to share math with your preschool age child.
Enlist your child as a helper in solving everyday math dilemmas. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) offers these scenarios:
Every preschool age child loves to rattle the pots and pans. Put your math whiz to constructive use by getting her or him to help measure ingredients and complete other simple tasks, say the experts at Kids Health. Preschoolers can:
How have you incorporated mathematics into your preschool age child’s everyday routine? Share your thoughts with Kids Konnect in the space below.