Literacy and math have a lot more in common than you think! Here are ways you can nurture the foundations of math.
§ Count everything together all day long
§ Name shapes (i.e. STOP signs are octagons because they have eight sides)
§ Create patterns together
§ Play with building blocks and puzzles; with preschoolers, also play board/card games
§ Sort toys by different criteria (i.e. by color, by size, etc.)
§ Let your child help measure ingredients when cooking together
§ Measure your child’s height each month or so on a door frame
§ Have your child retell stories (this is the beginning of understanding sequencing!)
§ Use “math language” to observe comparisons (i.e. more than/fewer than, bigger/smaller, near/far)
§ Play games that reinforce spatial relationships like up, down, backward, forward, etc.
Adapted from Get Ready to Read.