Numeracy Skills in Babies and Toddlers

What are Numeracy skills in ?

Numeracy  skills are defined as the skills used  to recognise and apply maths concepts in all areas of life.

Numeracy skills involve understanding numbers, counting, solving number problems, measuring, estimating, sorting, noticing patterns, adding and subtracting numbers, and so on.

Why are Numeracy and Math Skills important in kids?

Numeracy skills and math skills are the basic foundations stone in education. Not only is it very important in, academic life, it is also very important in day to day living. Numeracy skills are basic life skills that are needed in so many day to day activities. Building strong math skills in kids is important. It is a life skill that is used in so many important activities in life such as cooking, shopping and managing finances.

1. Cooking - A lot of estimation, sorting and exact math like multiplication skills are required in an activity as basic as cooking

2. Shopping - Transcating in 

3. Managing 

Your child’s everyday experiences are full of learning opportunities that lay the foundations for numeracy.

How does a child start learning numeracy skills

Children start learning numeracy skills from the time they’re born. This learning happens from watching and experiencing numeracy in action, especially in everyday play and activities. For example, it happens when your child:

When they are toddlers they learn these skills, when they see you counting. They recognize shapes around them. They also probably can tell you that they want one or two chapatis ( counting skills).

As children get older, they learn more numeracy and maths skills. They are able to compare sizes . They are able to divide things in equal parts. They are able to sort things by size.

When a parent or an adult talks to a child about maths concepts, they understand how useful it is and they get more interested in it

 

Tips for building numeracy skills in Babies

You can do a point and teach with charts or board books -  Numbers Chart 

You can read them stories with numbers in them - for example Goldilocks and the three bears 

You can sing number songs and rhymes

You can talk about everyday activities with numbers , " Eat these two slices of apple". " 8 : PM time for Bed". " This is a big spoon and this is a small spoon". " This is a square tissue, this plate is a circle"

Tips for building numeracy skills in Toddlers 

Talking, everyday activities, play and reading help your child develop communication, imagination and other skills for understanding maths concepts. Here are some ideas.

Once again talking math into to day to day activities works wonders. This car is fast and this is slow. This bag is heavy, this is light.  Can you count how many pieces of idlies are there on your plate

You can also talk about time, we eat breakfast at 8 AM. Mom goes to office at 9 AM. 2 PM is your Nap time

Point out numbers you see written in magazines, newspapers, books etc

You can also make counting a part of everyday life. Can you count the candies in the jar? How many birds are there are on the branch?

Involve your child in cooking - its the best way for them to learn sorting, measuring and estimating!

You can also consider getting books that feature numbers and counting.

 


Previous article
Next article