Chores and Math?

Take advantage of these early years to get your child involved in everyday tasks. Not only will you be helping to create lifelong habits but you will also be helping to develop skills that will be used as your child begins to read and even do math! Chores that involve sorting are one great example. Ask your children to sort your silverware or to set the table. Involve your child when doing the laundry. They can sort lights and darks before washing and sort towels from clothing after the washing is done. Matching socks will help children to pick out similarities and group like objects. This ability to match items one to one is a very important pre-math skill. Counting objects provides the child with a concrete experience with numbers. Think of things you can count at home. Start with napkins at the table, shoes in the closet, members in the family, books on the shelf and make a game of finding things to count. So the next time it’s “clean up time” know that while the toys are being put away, your child is practicing lots of great pre-math skills. So make it fun by encouraging and praising their efforts.