Multiply Your Preschooler's Math Skills

What You Need To Know

Early Years (Birth-5)

Preschool-age children are ready to explore more than just the basics when it comes to math. Parents often focus on counting from one to ten, but there are many other skills that children are ready and able to investigate.

Here are some of the math skills experts say a preschooler should have:

• Familiarity with Numbers - Basic counting aloud, but also identifying printed digits.
• Number Operations - Joining sets and dividing groups.
• Measurement - No rulers required. To introduce time, make reference to clocks and calendars and talk about "today, yesterday, and tomorrow."
• Shapes - Beginning geometry in simple shape recognition.
• Patterns and Sorting – Can use simple shapes in a repeated order.

How You Can Help

Even if math isn’t your thing there are many ways to incorporate it into your child’s day.

• Dump out the duplos and legos on the floor and start sorting colors, counting blocks and creating patterns. Here’s a great worksheet for practicing patterns from Education.com. (http://www.education.com/worksheet/article/circle-patterns-3/)
• A trip to the grocery store can be used to identify circles, triangles, rectangles and squares. Need a worksheet on everyday shapes? (http://www.education.com/worksheet/article/preschool-math-everyday-shapes/)
• Instead of measuring using a ruler, use another object. For example: My sunglasses are one pencil long.

Preschool math shouldn’t just be about 1-2-3’s. The mind of a young child can absorb much more. Look for those math moments at home to help your preschooler reach another level of learning in mathematics.