How to foster early mathematical skill in children
- The use of shapes: playing with shapes, talking to them about different types of shapes, counting, putting shapes in different perspective, describing the shapes, encouraging them to make their own shape and telling them to do something with it.
- Counting and sorting. Helping them to gather different types of toys e.g. matches sticks, cowries, etc. and encouraging counting and sorting them based on shapes, size and likeness fosters mathematical skills in them.
- Using size: encouraging children to notice the sizes of object around and helping them describe using less, smaller, bigger equal fosters mathematical skills in them
- Using sand and water: These skills can be fostered by encouraging them to fill, stir, build and pour through these activities, children learn to measure, count, add and estimate, etc.
- Exploring the environment: it gives children opportunities to assess, evaluate, make judgement and compare similarities and differences e.g. estimating distance.
- Picture time: the majority deals with distance measuring 1cm,angles, etc.