When children go to school, they get "formal" lessons in reading, writing, and arithmetic. But arithmetic, the adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing of numbers, is just one part of the greater use of math. Math is all about how numbers work.

Math helps children develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Just as the brain is "pre-wired" to learn and use language, it is also a part of human nature to learn and use math concepts.

Children are adventurous. As they begin crawling and walking to explore, they handle objects, and notice the sizes of their toys. They start to form ideas about their environment, naturally. With these activities, children learn the basics of math. They learn how to:

• Group and sort: match up objects that have traits in common, such as size, shape, and other features
• Recognize numbers: count and then understand what numbers mean
• Explore space: see and explore how shapes and things fit together
• Recognize shapes: know and point out the basic shapes - squares, circles, triangles
• Recognize patterns: be able to guess what comes next in a pattern of objects
• Estimate/predict: guess amounts, distance, how one thing can affect another (such as determining if a heavier object sinks faster than a lighter object)
• Measure: understand that one object can be used to describe or represent another and learn the concepts of tall, short, heavy, light, half
• Tell time: understand the concept of time, past and present, with words such as later, tonight, tomorrow, yesterday, in 10 minutes

All of these are important "pre-math" skills. They are the basis for learning math in elementary school and beyond.

Doing Pre-Math Activities with Children

You use math throughout your day, so just share it and make it fun for children. More than likely you are already helping your child to learn pre-math concepts by the words you use and the activities you do with her. Child care providers and programs also use activities that foster math skills in children's daily routines.

Grouping

Grouping is the first step in learning and understanding that numbers represent objects. Children can learn to group and sort objects - by size, shape, feel, color, or the way objects move. When young children are playing with toys and other things, they are naturally curious. They are exploring what they are see-ing and touching. And, you can easily help your child learn to group by giving him some household materials (see chart for ideas).

Pre-Math Activities
Grouping Activities	Concepts/Skills
Sort objects by size or color: pencils, crayons, toy trucks Group laundry: putting all clean pants, shirts, socks together No matter where you are, talk about your surroundings, and identify those things with same traits: round, square, red, blue With infants: Read books to baby (animals or subjects that capture baby's interest) and name animals	Color Size Shape Texture Taste Building vocabulary Common traits

Recognize Numbers

Children learn numbers by hearing them over and over, and seeing them written. Children will slowly learn that spoken or written numbers are about real objects. They'll understand the concepts of "more", "less", and "equal to" or "same".

Recognizing Numbers
Activities	Concepts/Skills
Counting games: count how many clocks you have at home, count the number of red cars you see, etc. Give them paper and crayons and let them write down the numbers they learn in sequence: 1, 2, 3, and so on Sing counting songs or read books that involve counting (for example, "This Old Man") Give directions that involve numbers ("Put two books on the table") With infants: Read books to baby that involve counting and using numbers (Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Three Billy Goats Gruff)	Numbers Counting Understanding spoken numbers mean real amounts Following onestep directions Writing

Shapes and Space

At an early age, children can "see" the shape and size of objects. They can touch and explore basic shapes such as circles, squares, and triangles. Children also learn the concepts of where things are located with words such as "over", "under", "beside", and "inside", in terms of where objects are.

Shapes and Space
Shapes and Space	Concepts/Skills
Play with blocks - sorting and building Make and cut out a variety of shapes and put them into a bag - have child feel in the bag and pull a shape out without looking at it and tell you what it is Put puzzles together With infants Talk to them about the shapes of objects you see, have in your home Give them blocks	Shapes Understanding what shapes are Fine motor skills Build vocabulary

Patterns

Patterns are a part of math. Getting children to be able to pick out visual patterns and know what is "next" in a sequence also helps with their ability to make predictions or guesses.

Recognizing Numbers
Patterns	Concepts/Skills
Play matching games Draw shapes on paper, color them and cut them out. Then make patterns out of them and have children guess what is next in the sequence. Have children come up with their own patterns.	Matching Visual memory Fine motor skills Shapes

Estimate/Predict

Estimation and prediction are also part of science and will help develop critical thinking skills. Ask your preschooler to:

• Guess which is bigger? Choose two objects that you can compare.
• Guess which is a higher stack - 10 nickels or 10 pennies?
• Predict - will a ball float and stay on top of the water or sink to the bottom?

Measuring

Measuring and knowing the sizes of things are important skills. Help your child understand amounts and concepts of "heavy", "light", "tall" with some of the following activities:

• Measure your child's height on the wall in pencil or on a chart. Do it at intervals to chart the growth.
• Cook or bake with your child. Let him help you measure out amounts of ingredients and see the difference in a cup, teaspoon, or tablespoon
• Play with and measure out sand.

Tell time

Whether it's getting to a job on time or knowing when the next train is coming - understanding time is important! You can help your child learn the basics of time and telling time:

• Time activities (set a timer and see how long it takes your child to brush their teeth; how long it takes to bake cupcakes, and so on)
• Draw a clock face: Talk about what the numbers on the clock mean and show them 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock. They may not understand right away, but they'll eventually get it.
• Talk to them about time and what they will do at different points during the day ("at two o'clock we will go to the park"; "bedtime is 8 o'clock")

The main idea is that math is all around you and you use it all the time. Think about how you use math in your everyday life. When you are paying for things at the store, measuring ingredients for a favorite recipe, or judging if your car has enough gas for a few more days - you're using some form of math. Math skills are not only important for children in school; they are important for the rest of their lives.

For More Information

• Department of Education, archives. This article, entitled What is Mathematics?, gives two different standards of math (thinking and content). It has ideas and activities for what parents can do to support and help their children learn both the thinking and content of math.
• University of Kansas Life Span Institute at Parsons, Kansas Kids Ready for Learning, Links to Early Literacy for Families and Providers, Math and Young Children. This webpage has several sources that discuss and have easy-to-follow activities to help young children develop pre-math skills.
• PBS Parents, Early math. An online "math coach" for parents and child care providers that gives ideas and directions for activities (grouped by child's age) with children that nurtures pre-math skills. All activities aimed at making math come to life for parents as well. The illustrated and detailed activities can be printed out to use at any time.
• Is This the Right Place for My Child?: 38 Research-Based Indicators of High-Quality Child Care. This user friendly booklet contains a checklist of 38 questions that parents can ask to evaluate the quality of child care programs and explains why each question is important and how it relates to the quality of care. One aspect of high-quality care is providing activities and materials that encourage skill development in all areas of learning.