Here are some suggestions for practicing math throughout the day.
Counting
- Teach the concept of one when shopping or playing with objects
- Have some fun with counting songs and rhymes
Predictions and Estimating
- When waiting in the car while a caregiver goes into a store, ask your child to guess how many people will come out of the store before mom/dad?
- Will all this laundry fit in the washer? Or will we need to do two loads of laundry?
- How many steps is your bed to the bathroom?
- As you read a new story together, pause in the middle and ask your child what will happen next
Sorting
- When getting ready to fold or wash laundry, create piles by color, type of clothing, etc.
- Using a section plate, put at least two snacks in one section. Ask your child to sort the snacks into the other sections (i.e. carrots in one section and grapes in the other)
- Practice sorting things around the house – toys, utensils, books, and even berries
Sequences and Patterns
- Look for patterns on floors and walls
- Use blocks to create a pattern and ask your child to add blocks in the same pattern
- As you walk together, create a pattern (i.e. two short steps than one long step, tiptoe every other step)
Shapes and Spatial Relationships
- For children who know their shapes, take turns “drawing” and guessing the shapes
- Point out the shape of road signs; look for shapes in your surroundings
- Play a game like Follow the String that uses positioning words (i.e. under, over, behind, forward)
