Learning to recognize numbers and perform basic arithmetic are major milestones in early childhood development. Incorporating number activities into your child care approach will help your child understand numbers faster and retain key information. Below are three ways you can begin to build your child’s math literacy.

How to Help Your Children Learn Numbers

1. Create Activity Books Together

Create small activity books that focus on numbers, with each book only covering a few numbers at a time. Each number should have its own page on which you write the numeral and number. Include a blank space where your child can practice drawing it. Let your child choose details like colors, layout, and objects – for example, taping three pennies to the page to demonstrate the number three. Go online and print off activity pages for numbers, such as simple color-by-number pictures, and put them in the books, too. With these books, your child will also be able to work on other early childhood abilities, such as fine motor skills, colors, and reading.

2. Have Game Time

Your child won’t always feel like working quietly in an activity book, so incorporate active games that focus on numbers. Hopscotch is a classic option, as your child will count the number of hops they take or recognize the number the beanbag lands on. They’ll also begin to learn to distinguish between evens and odds. Create your own bingo cards using numbers in the squares, which will help them with recognition. Flash cards are useful, especially if you make them unique with funny or cute images to represent the quantities. A child is more likely to remember three silly elephants than they are the abstract numerical concept. 

3. Get Others Involved

Encourage family, friends, and child care providers to incorporate math into your little one’s daily life. Give your babysitter or day care teacher copies of number-based activities and games, and update them on any areas with which your child is struggling. Offer to host a learning party for your child and their friends, where number-based games and activities are the focus. Having others involved will keep your child engaged, improving their learning experience and their ability to retain the information.

When you need affordable and safe child care focused on key areas of early childhood development, contact the providers at Guilford Childhood Development in Greensboro, NC. Since 1967, this group of organizations has worked tirelessly to increase access to quality education, meals, and care for children and their families in Guilford County. With five unique programs, they provide support to children, first-time mothers, and low-income families, including early child care services and referrals to other day care options. Learn about their programs online and call (336) 887-8224 to get started.