Numeracy isn’t just about counting—it’s also about understanding numbers, recognizing patterns, and solving everyday problems. Early numeracy is all about basic math concepts and numbers; it involves recognizing, understanding, and playing around with them. Numeracy involves counting, identifying patterns, knowing shapes, and getting the hang of basic measurements. When parents and caregivers at a preschool in Silver Spring nurture these skills from a young age, they help children build confidence and a passion for learning that will carry them through the rest of their lives.
Parents can start introducing early numeracy skills as early as they want. While your one- or two-year-old isn’t going to start multiplying or dividing anytime soon, they aren’t too young to listen to stories or songs that include numbers and other basic math skills.
Early numeracy skills, which are also called “number sense,” are the building blocks of mathematical thinking that kids learn when they are very young. By age four, children can recognize simple patterns, count how many things are in a set, and compare things about themselves, like height. These are all signs of early math skills commonly taught in preschools in Silver Spring, MD.
Children use early numeracy skills to make sense of things around them. The same knowledge that gets kids ready for formal math skills also helps them make sense of what they see and hear by observing it and putting it in order in useful ways. As children begin to develop numeracy skills, they start thinking logically. They begin to distinguish between real and imaginary concepts and see how ideas are connected. Numeracy helps with math, but these skills help with things like art and music.
Engaging in fun activities like building blocks, solving puzzles, playing board games, and pretending with numbers and shapes gives kids a chance to dive into math concepts in a fun and interactive way. These activities allow parents and caregivers at a Silver Spring preschool to teach children about problem-solving, reasoning, and spatial awareness.
You can use regular white rice for this hands-on activity, but rainbow rice makes it better. To create rainbow rice, dye white rice with food coloring. When adding food coloring to white rice, add a few drops at a time and then mix well, as the rice will absorb and spread the color.
A very important skill that kids should learn in their first year of school is how to write numbers correctly. Tactile activities, like writing in colored rice, help children practice correct number formation. Students pick up a number disc from the table and use their fingers to write the number in the colorful rice. It’s a fun sensory twist on some early math!
For this activity, students pick a number card and place counters in their bowl to show that amount. The numbers are shown in multiple formats, including digits, number words, tally marks, and ten-frames. Counters include colorful buttons, small toys, painted clothespins, and more. Kids dig through the colorful rice to find the counters. They use tweezers to put the counters in their bowl.
Cutes and Ladders, Memory, or Guess Who are all fun board or card games you can play as a family that will help young kids with counting, pattern recognition, and strategic thinking. For older children, games like this help with number recognition, counting, and basic arithmetic. These games also help learn how to take turns and solve simple problems. But the best part about playing games as a family is that your children think they’re just having fun, when in reality, they are learning some important skills.
Get your young children involved with you in the kitchen! Let them measure out the ingredients, count how many scoops you need, and let them set the timer for you. Make sure you talk with your kids about the measurements and the other numbers that come up when following a recipe, including temperatures and cooking times. Cooking is one of the best ways to use math in real life! Cooking gives kids hands-on experience with numbers, fractions, and sequences—without sitting at a desk.
Recognizing shapes is a starting point for skills children will use later in life, such as geometry, depth perception, and even driving skills. To make things clean and fun, let your kids trace shapes in shaving cream or whipped cream. If you have younger kids who love putting their hands in their mouths, whipped cream is a better and tastier option! To keep the “foam” contained, use baking sheets at the kitchen table with a disposable tablecloth. If the weather is nice, you can do the activity outdoors and hose everything off.
Using different colored sidewalk chalk, have your kids trace numbers while saying the number out loud. Or you can create a pattern and encourage your kids to count by twos, fives, or tens while filling in the spaces with the numbers missing from the pattern. For younger children, create patterns using shapes instead of numbers.
Helping kids build their numeracy skills in early childhood is important for setting them up for success later in school and life. From the moment a baby enters infant care in Silver Spring, MD, caregivers and parents can start incorporating math into daily routines. Through interactive storytelling, lullabies, and nursery rhymes, they can spark a lifelong love of numbers.
MCCA has been recognized by the Maryland State Legislature for its commitment to Montgomery County issued a quality programs and special needs child care Proclamation in 2016 to MCCA for its commitment to Montgomery County child care for more than 50 years. MCCA was also selected as a 2018 nonprofit finalist for a MOXIE Award for boldness and innovation
MCCA is the oldest nonprofit licensed child care provider in Montgomery County and started its work in 1968 as a Community Action Project of the War on Poverty. Recognizing the need for quality child care programs in their neighborhoods, a group of local activists formed an association to establish centers in Montgomery County that would serve a diverse population and establish high standards for child care. Now, more than 50 years later, MCCA’s dedicated and expertly trained staff continue their tradition of providing high quality child care and play-based education for children.
Families with school aged children who can afford their child care expenses during the school year often struggle to afford the all-day programs they need when school is out for the summer. The Richard Krampf Summer Adventures Scholarship Fund was established to help provide children a safe and stimulating place to spend their weeks when school is out. Please contact an MCCA Director for details on how to apply.
