When you think of the most popular school subjects, you may be inclined to believe that history, art, or English are the most popular answers among older students. However, it’s math that reigns supreme!
Math can be complicated for some. It’s crucial to learn how to teach early math skills to foster a love of learning in your young child.
If you’re not sure where to start when teaching early math skills, keep reading for some of the top tips and tricks to help your child flourish in their educational journey.
Use Math Talk Often
When playing with young children, you may ask them what colors the items are or what animal your child is looking at. You can apply the same ideas to talking about math!
You can ask your child to help you grab a certain number of items. For example, “pick up three strawberries” is a great way to give children a hands-on activity without making it seem like you’re forcing them to learn.Â
You can also ask children to pair their socks up and then ask them to tell you both how many pairs of socks and individual socks there are.
Incorporate Math Into Play
Though it might not seem fun to teach early math skills, you can disguise the content into games and playtime. This is a great way to get kids to learn without feeling the pressure of doing work.
Simple board games that require children to recognize numbers and count spaces are a great foundational tool. You can also have children play games like math bingo or pizza fractions to hold their interest.
Stay Consistent
To help your child develop math skills, you’ll want to stay consistent with their learning. Though once in a while may seem like it will suffice, your lessons won’t be as effective if they aren’t structured and constant.
Though making math fun can be a great way to get kids involved, offering supplemental worksheets is a great way to get them thinking critically about math. See here for more.
Offer Rewards
Finally, you’ll want to give children rewards for learning! It can be a challenge to learn math, so validating your children and acknowledging their hard work is crucial to fostering a love of learning that will last a lifetime.
You can play games with candy and let children have them after as a “good job” for participating. Even if your children are struggling, rewarding them will let them know they should be proud of trying!
How to Teach Early Math Skills: Your Guide, Made Easy
Early math skills lay a crucial foundation that can set your child up for success in their future education.
Remember, your child’s education starts at home. Schooling will advance their learning significantly, but starting early shows you care about their education.
If you found this guide on how to teach early math skills helpful, check out the rest of our website for more great education and lifestyle tips and tricks.
