Early Math Indicates Future Success

We all want our children to do well in school and succeed in life. And I’m sure you have heard that early literacy exposure is a big indicator for future success, right? So we spend a lot of time reading with our little ones to make sure we are helping to foster a love of reading and building a foundation for their success in years to come. This is wonderful, and I encourage you to continue to read with your child! But did you know that early math exposure is a strong predictor for future success too—not just in math though. Being exposed to math early, before kindergarten, can also help a child’s success in reading and critical thinking skills.

What Does Early Math Exposure Mean?

Don’t freak out and think you have failed your child! I’m sure you have been exposing your preschooler to math concepts without even realizing you are doing it.

“Early math” are the basic concepts like counting, quantity (more or fewer), shapes, spatial relations (under, over, on top of), measurement (big, small), and patterns. Children are exposed to these concepts as they interact with you and their environment. For example, when they are building a tower out of blocks they might sort the blocks by size or color, develop reasoning skills as they figure out which block to stack onto their tower next, and even how to combine shapes to make familiar objects.

It’s our jobs to interact and engage with our young children to introduce them to the words associated with these basic math concepts. For example, as you read books you can point out different shapes or colors and count objects in each picture. Or while doing laundry invite your preschooler to help you sort the clothing and count the items.

How Does Early Math Exposure Help Literacy Skills?

When children are exposed to math early they are able to communicate effectively using mathematics (“I want the big, red cup” opposed to “I want the cup”). It helps deepen their understanding of math, their vocabulary, and critical thinking skills. All of these skills help to develop a mentally organized way of thinking which can lead to better comprehension—they are able to organize the parts of a story to better understand it.

How Can I Help My Preschooler with Early Math Exposure?

Like I said earlier, I’m sure you are exposing your preschooler to math concepts without even realizing it, so just make an extra effort to focus on introducing your child to math vocabulary (more/less, big/small, counting, sorting, shape names) as you cook together, build towers, read, do laundry, or even go on walks. Continue to do your activity time together where you are introducing math concepts in a fun and engaging environment.

I have a very exciting surprise for you! In just a few short weeks I will have another fun and engaging way for you to help your child learn many key math concepts for future success. I will be releasing 3 new math workbooks that will allow you to infuse a little more math into each day in a simple and fun way. More information to come…stay tuned!