Do you know what pre-counting skills your toddler is learning, and why maths is really all about play?

When it comes to maths, we probably think of sitting in classrooms learning facts about numbers – and the dread they could inspire. But the good news is that there is a lot more to maths than just numbers, and your toddler is already learning about big mathematical concepts every day as they play. Here’s why playing is so important for early maths skills, and some ways you can ensure you and your toddler make the most of mathematical moments. 

Pre-counting experiences and why they’re so important 

When we think about the maths skills we want our children to learn, particularly in their first five years, we often focus on counting. Reciting numbers is a skill we celebrate for our little ones, but more playful explorations of mathematical ideas, called pre-counting experiences, are most important during this stage of development.  

This pre-counting knowledge will eventually make counting meaningful for your toddler, rather than simply a set of words they have learnt. Pre-counting skills focus on children understanding concepts about amounts, size, the order of numbers and other aspects of maths which will eventually feed into their number sense. 

You don’t need to set out to give your toddler a pre-counting lesson, they simply need lots of time and space to play with objects! 

Your toddler will learn pre-counting skills as they play, without any real intention from adults to be ‘teaching maths’.  

Through play, which allows for lots of trial and error, and experimenting with ideas, our children are testing and refining their understanding of some pre-counting concepts.^[1]  

You might have noticed your toddler busy sorting items, or dividing objects into smaller groups. Maybe they will decide to put all the red blocks together, or divide their animals by type, or separate big and small beads.  

They're identifying groups on the basis that the items are in some way the same, which is key to understanding what should be counted later on, and importantly, when to stop counting once you have identified a set of items. 

This is your toddler developing their maths knowledge through play, and what they learn will be used later on when they develop more detailed understanding around numbers.  

Why is play the best possible way to develop mathematical knowledge?  

For children, the concept of numbers can be confusing and abstract, so linking it to real, physical items is important.  

Children learn with all of their senses, so being able to touch, move and interact with the items they are counting will embed the knowledge they’re developing.  

A good example of this is how many children (and adults) use their fingers to help them count – this should be encouraged^[2] as you just can’t beat the tactile experience of using your fingers, and they’re always available when you need to count, no matter where you are! 

How to add a sprinkling of maths knowledge into everyday routines 

When you are counting with your toddler, make sure you use the words ‘more’ and ‘fewer’ to help them make the connection that each number is one more than the number before it.  

Count out items you’re using or passing throughout your day, for example, as you pass them pieces of fruit or climb steps you can count “One, two, and one more... three!” 

Use phrases like “one more” and “no more” while you eat or play, perhaps when building using a pile of blocks or when you’re packing a bag ready to go out.  

Give your toddler lots of opportunities to play with several items at once, and make sure they have space to spread them out and move them around into different groups. They may enjoy having containers with the objects, and using the space to think about objects one at a time. 

Above all, don’t feel pressured for them to count items if they’re not interested yet; know that they are absorbing lots of useful pre-counting skills while they play which will create a strong foundation for their counting, and other maths skills, in the future.  

References: 

[1]. Cockburn, A.D and Haylock, D. (2017) Understanding Mathematics for Young Children (5th Ed). London: Sage 

[2] Noël M. P. (2005). ‘Finger gnosia: a predictor of numerical abilities in children?’. Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence, 11(5):413–430.