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Playdate focus

Math is not just counting – math is also about properties and relationships. This should be brought out in your Math Talk.

Storybook properties

The storybook talks about colors, shapes, and spatial relationships.

Activities properties

These involve properties of objects and how those properties can create patterns.

There is important math beyond numbers

Describing and comparing things is an important part of helping your child learn early mathematics. When children do mathematics, they use ideas about properties of objects to help them work with those objects, such as in grouping them or finding patterns with them. These skills will also help your child when it comes time to start learning to read.

Point, describe, and compare

Wherever you are, get in the habit of pointing at things that catch your or your child’s attention, and then describing them. Take the opportunity to compare those things to other things to help the descriptions be more meaningful. Talk about how two things are the same or how they are different.

It is never too early

From the earliest ages, your child is learning from everything they see, hear, taste, touch, and experience. Add to those experiences with your Math Talk. They are benefiting from your words before they show any reaction to them. Eventually, they will put together the experiences from your words and start showing you that they understand them.

Expose, but do not rush

Don’t confuse early exposure with teaching. A child will put together the patterns from their experiences as they are developmentally ready. For example, you can’t teach your child to count to 5 by explaining it to them – you can only expose them to your counting over and over again until it starts making sense to them. Never be impatient or push them to understand it more quickly – they have a lot to learn and they will naturally want to make sense of it all.