Helping young children with Maths

There are two important ways you can help your young children with Maths.

• Through conversation, stories, rhymes, games, etc.
• Developing children's mathematical vocabulary and understanding by involving them in your day to day maths.

Conversation, stories, rhymes and games.

When you read a story which involves numbers make a point of discussing the maths involved.
Talk about the numbers in Nursery Rhymes and songs.
Rhymes and counting are very valuable means of helping young children form concepts, particularly about number.

• Stories

Have you noticed how many stories for young children involve numbers? Think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This is particularly good for one-to-one matching, how many bowls, spoons, chairs, beds are needed?
The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and the Three Little Pigs are other examples; there are many more.

• Rhymes

Similarly many nursery rhymes and songs are number based. 'One, two, three, four, five', 'One, two, Buckle my Shoe', 'Five currant buns' and 'Five little speckled frogs'.

• Games
  Playing games with your children can help with number recognition, and matching one-to-one. These need not be expensive board games; young children are encouraged now to invent their own games. Explaining the rules to you may help to clarify some ideas in their own minds.
  There are many games using numbers, most involving dice. There are also games involving shape matching especially for very young children.

Talk maths whenever the opportunity arises. Involve the children in the maths you have to do as part and parcel of your daily routine.
Imaginative play, role play, sand and water play give plenty of scope for mathematical experiences.
However you feel you can help your child the most important thing is to encourage your children to observe, talk and question.

Developing children's mathematical vocabulary

In many activities there is the opportunity to extend mathematical vocabulary. Much of the vocabulary is common to all activities. Here is a basic, but by no means exhaustive, list of some of the words that you could encourage your children to use: