How do I help my child develop early math skills?
According to the Connecticut Preschool Curriculum Framework, the following skills are necessary for early mathematical development in your child:
SORTING:
- Trucks and cars into separate sets
- Circles and squares by shape
- Organize crayons by color group
- Identify colors and shapes in the environment(a door is a rectangle, a carrot is orange, wheels are a circle).
- Will sort by different attributes( examples: sort the animals by number of legs, sort vehicles by land, sea, and air, sort clothing by shirts, pants, and socks).
ORDERING:
- Arrange toy animals by size (smallest to biggest)
- Place books on a shelf by height (shortest to tallest)
- Discuss family members based on their size (shoes,gloves,etc.)
1:1 CORRESPONDENCE:
- Place one napkin next to each plate at the dinner table
- Count toy cars as they are being placed on the road
- Count and touch 10 items in a row
- When counting objects: An alternative strategy is to touch and slide each object while counting
- Expose child to number symbols up to 10