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Some students love math, while others are decidedly phobic about the prospect of playing with numbers. The early childhood education professionals at First Steps Day Care & Learning Center understand, and want to help students learn to appreciate the subject. The day care center has served Southbury, CT, for over 30 years, and they pride themselves on instructing students in a healthy and engaging environment.

Environment is essential to fostering an appreciation for any subject, but developing a passion for math can be tricky if students find it difficult. Here are three helpful tips that early childhood education professionals suggest may help:

  • Make It a Part of Life: If math is viewed too much as a dreaded subject, it’s going to be difficult to conquer. But if students have the opportunity to actually use it in their everyday lives, it suddenly takes on an entirely new meaning. Make it a point to play math games in the car as a fun activity. If they help you in the kitchen, ask them to measure or count ingredients. Use car travel as an opportunity to learn about miles and distances. The opportunities are there—it’s just a matter of working them into your day.
  • Play a Board Game: Another way to remind kids that math doesn’t have to be difficult is to simply play a game—you can introduce a fun board game to your regular routine in lieu of digital activities. This hands-on approach makes math more tangible and easier to understand—even the basic act of maneuvering a piece on the game board can help a child learn to count, and that is priceless.
  • early childhood educationStart Them Young: The sooner a child is exposed to math, the more likely it is that they’ll grasp tricky concepts. Introducing children to sequencing and sorting games, for example, teaches them to appreciate the concept of reaching for a goal using logic and reasoning. You can also engage preschool age children with age-appropriate jigsaw puzzles or other hands-on toys that give them the opportunity to learn about spatial concepts.

Early childhood education experts stress the benefits of teaching math and its basic concepts at a young age because it prepares them for what comes after preschool. The key is to encourage children to view math as a fun challenge that they can actually understand and use.

If you’re seeking quality child care services for your children, turn to First Steps Day Care & Learning Center. From nursery school to an exceptional after-school program, the facility offers reliable care for students between the ages of eight weeks and 10 years old. Give them a call at (203) 264-3735 to learn more about their day care and early childhood education programs.

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