Developing Mathematical Skills

Helping your pre-school child to develop their maths skills involves so much more than simply teaching them to count - it is also important for them to develop an awareness of shapes and measurements. All of these maths skills can be developed through games, songs, stories, imaginative play and everyday activities.

Learning about Counting

Many children may begin to recognise numbers at an early age. They then go on to learn how to count and use their number skill to solve problems. To help your child develop their counting skills, try the following activities:

• Sing nursery rhymes and counting songs such as "Ten Green Bottles".
• Count things around the home, such as toys in the toy box, crayons in the tin or shoes by the door.
• Ask your child to guess the next number as the oven timer counts down to zero.
• Point out numbers in everyday life, such as on the front door, at the supermarket or on a clock.
• Ask your child to collect a specified number of objects.
• Play games such as Ludo or Snakes and Ladders that involve using a dice.

Learning about Measuring

Children start to learn about measuring when they use the words that compare the things they see; for example, taller or shorter, bigger or smaller, heavier or lighter. They then learn about the tools that can be used to measure things, such as a ruler for length, scales for weight, thermometer for temperature or clocks for time. To help your child develop their measuring skills, try the following activities:

• Compare objects to see which is heavier.
• Weigh ingredients for cooking.
• Fill and empty containers.
• Measure things in the home with a tape measure or ruler and write down their sizes.
• Compare the lengths of two objects.

Learning about Shapes

Once children have learnt about the names for different shapes, then they go on to learn how to describe what the different shapes are like and what they can do. To encourage your child to develop their interest in shapes, try the following activities:

• Look at everyday objects and describe their shape.
• Compare the shapes of the street signs.
• Ask your child to find everyday objects which are circles, squares or triangles.