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