Every parent wants their child to develop and grow, healthy and happily. Between the ages of zero and four, children develop rapidly. Much of their learning is done independently, however support from their peers, parents and educational toys will boost their development and ensure they grasp the skills they need to succeed at school and in life.
Numeracy skills are important because your child will continue to use mathematical knowledge throughout their adulthood. It also supports development of their general problem-solving skills and ability to tackle everyday life.
Early mathematics development should include a range of different areas, including learning numbers, shapes, patterns, sizes, time and measuring. To help them understand and remember these concepts, they need hands-on experience and support from loved ones. Below are just a few tips for how to get started on building your pre-schoolers numeracy skills.
Start working on mathematics together at home.
The best way to start introducing your child to mathematics and help them feel comfortable working with numbers is to start incorporating numeracy into their playtime at home. Arrange some time to sit down with your child and work together on math activities. A great place to start is by counting to ten together. From there, you can incorporate counting into your everyday life and daily routines by counting your steps, counting food, and counting people.
Use mathematics-related toys, games and puzzles to engage your child.
Educational resources and numeracy toys will encourage your child to experiment, explore and grow their knowledge through hands-on experiences with art activities by using safety scissors. Some of our most popular educational toys include little brian paint sticks, Shape Stencils, dot markers and Bamboo Counting Sets. Physically moving, touching and handling numbers and shapes will help your child remember how to count and it will allow them to establish the meaning and purpose of these skills.
Encourage books and videos that are education centric.
Educational books and videos are often thought to be focused on literacy rather than numeracy. However, there are many books and videos that can help your child to count, understand patterns, recognise shapes and learn to measure. The Crayons’ Book Of Numbers is a great place to start.
All children will start to understand and learn mathematics at different times. It’s never too early or too late to start working with your child on their numeracy skills, and there are educational resources appropriate for a wide range of age groups.
Some children will pick up numeracy skills immediately, and others will need some additional time to learn and adapt to the new ideas. At the end of the day, the development of numeracy skills takes time for every child, so you should always aim to be patient and positive when doing maths together at home.
For more articles discussing early leaning for your child, visit the Creative Play Resources blog. You may also browse our online art & craft shop to invest in any educational resources and educational toys for toddlers, including oil pastels, little brian and people paint. For more queries, visit our Instagram page or Facebook page.