Exploring early maths!
Numbers are all around us – counting things, time, sorting objects – the list goes on! Knowing the ‘twoness of two’ is vital to fully understand later mathematical problems.
We want our children to become confident mathematicians, in the same way that we want them to become confident readers and writers.
Knowing about numbers and being able to count are an important part of the mathematical knowledge and skills that your child needs as they grow.
Your child will learn to recognise numerals by seeing them written down, and learn about the order that numbers come in by hearing and saying the number names.
However, your child needs more than this in order to really understand how much each number is worth – to know the ‘twoness of two’. Knowing the value of each number will give them a firm foundation on which to build the rest of their mathematical journey.
Your child needs opportunities to experience and explore amounts in lots of different ways, as this helps their brain to make the connection between number names and how much each number is worth.
Understanding numbers and their value does not have to be a separate activity in isolation. In fact, your child will learn far more and be more engaged when its done practically through play and everyday activities.
Top tips:
- Use real items: this will give your child an understanding of what the value of that number looks and feels like – for example, counting the steps as you go up the stairs, preparing the ingredients for cooking, and singing songs/nursery rhymes
- Sort, match and count things that your child can see and touch: for example, pieces of fruit on their plate, a collection of autumn leaves, or pairing socks
- Count sounds that your child can hear: for example, clapping or pebbles being dropped into a tin
- Have a ‘number day’ with your child and celebrate all things 2: for example, 2 shoes, 2 ears, 2 ducks in the pond, 2 carrots etc (make sure you concentrate on just one number at a time before moving onto the next number)
- Play number games: place numbers of objects in pots or bowls with your child to fill the correct amounts, such as feeding a teddy bear 3 biscuits and a dolly 3 apples
