These are some simple tips that will enhance your child's learning and math development.
- Play Board Games together that involve counting, moving spaces, or matching numbers.
- Go on a number hunt. Pick a number 0-10 at first then up the numbers to hunt for as your child increases his/her skill. You choose a number and your child has to find that number in your house or wherever you are at. Hint: Cereal boxes and other food items often have many numbers!
- Have your child practice counting out loud as high as they can. The kindergarten goal is to count to 100 by the end of the year. If your child already can count to 100, have them count to 100 by skip counting (2's, 5's, 10's )
- Count as you do daily activities with your child- the number of steps to the laundry room or any other room in the house, the number of letters or catalogs that come in the mail, or how many plates and bowls they may need to set the table for dinner.
- Play counting games in the car or as you take a walk together. "Let's count how many trucks pass by on the way to the store." or "Let's count how many dogs we see or hear barking during our walk."
- Collect objects in the Nature: leaves, rocks, shells, and the like. When you get them home, sort them by color, size, or type. How many different categories did you find? Try making a patterns with your objects.
- Give your child a hand full of coins and have them sort them by their type of coin.. Then see if they can count the coins that are alike.
- Play I Spy- Using shapes you see around your house or office. Describe the shape with as much detail without giving it away- your child finds the shape by description.
- Help your child by using description/positional words when you ask them to do something for you. For example: Can you please go get mom the fork that is on top of the counter.
- Help your child learn the importance of numbers- such as the numbers in their phone number, their address, and birthday.
- Use household objects to complete simple math addition and subtraction problems.
- Play Number War with a deck of cards. Have your child determine which card number is Greater than or Less than yours. You can also use this same game to practice Number Recognition by having your child tell what number they turn over each time.