It all begins with numbers and counting. Think back to Sesame Street and The Count. He loves counting objects and showing children how to count. As The Count counts, the numbers flash on the television screen. As your child approaches school-age, he will be exposed to simple math concepts. You can ease his exposure by finding simple ways to introduce counting, numbers and math in general to him. You don’t need very much to start.
Step 1
Express a positive attitude about math to your child. Tell her that math is fun and affects different areas of her life. The Ontario Ministry of Education suggests you give her examples of this, such as playing games, cooking or working on crafts.
Step 2
Work on math problems with you child. Buy grade- and age-appropriate math workbooks and work on some of the problems with him. At the store, give him the chance to buy something. Allow him to give the cash to the cashier so he can figure out how much he has to pay.
Step 3
Play counting games with your preschool or kindergarten-age child. Walk around the house and count as you walk. Make up games like taking three big steps and four baby steps. Have your child suggest things for you to do as you walk, writes the Ed.gov website.
Step 4
Gather common household items that have numbers on them and show your child how to find and recognize these numbers. Take her outside and point out the numbers on the front of your house or on the mailbox. Say the number so he can start to recognize it.
Step 5
Gather some dice and coins. Sit down with your child and other members of your family. Decide on an amount that a player has to reach to win this game. Roll the dice and say the numbers that come up.
Give that player that number of pennies. Explain to your child that one penny equals one cent. Each player has to roll the dice and say the numbers that come up in order to get the correct amount of change.
When a player gets five pennies, replace them with a nickel. Show your child that one nickel equals five pennies. When a player gets more than five pennies or a nickel, replace them with a dime and show your child that one dime equals 10 cents. When any player reaches your set amount--25 or 50 cents--that player wins the game.
Tips and Warnings
- You can find several ways to make learning math fun. Depending on your child’s grade, find different math-related activities you can do at home to reinforce what he is learning at school. When your child gets stuck on a problem or math process, encourage her to be persistent as she tries to work it out. Praise her for her efforts.
- Don’t make math a negative process. If you had difficulty learning math, don’t tell your child, “I had such a hard time with math.”
Things You'll Need
- Math worksheets
- Coins
- Dice
