Helping your child with Maths

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Helping your child with Maths
In Nursery
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Before your child starts school, help them to
feel confident with numbers by talking about them
and using them during every day experiences.
Count as many things as you can the number of
buttons as you fasten them, the number of fingers
as you put on gloves, the number of socks as you
put them in the washing machine or the number of
place settings at a table
Sing number nursery songs and rhymes as you are
sitting in a traffic jam, walking to the shops
etc. Many number songs such as Five Little Ducks
or Ten Green Bottles, start with a number and
count backwards. Some rhymes count in a forward
sequence a favourite example is '1,2,3,4,5 Once
I caught a fish alive'
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Use bedtime picture story books as a source of
counting practice. Ask your child to help you to
count, for example, the number of teddies in a
picture. When objects are in a line, encourage
the habit of counting from left to right
Count actions as you clap, stamp, wiggle fingers
or climb stairs. This is very helpful in teaching
children to say one count for each action.
When you count things, help your child to see
that the last counting word you say tells you how
many things there were. Do this by emphasising
the last number you say "one, two, three, four.
There are four teddies.'
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Talk about the different shapes around the home
and when you are out walking.

Talk about big and small and make comparisons
between objects. Encourage your child to say
which object is bigger, then move on to putting
objects in order of size, from biggest to
smallest and smallest to biggest.
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Talk to your child about whether their cup is
full or empty. You could also play games at bath
time, letting your child fill a cup of water and
empty it out again.
Help your childs understanding of the world by
talking about significant times of the day, for
example lunchtime, play time, bath time and bed
time. Use simple time language in every day
situations, e.g. Well read a story before you
go to sleep. We are going to Grandmas after
school. It will be tea time soon. We are
going to the park later.
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