Count, Group, and Compare

Developing maths skills in children begins long before they start going to school. Even infants can understand simple maths concepts, such as recognizing patterns and quantities. Toddlers enjoy learning maths concepts like comparing shapes and sizes, which help them understand the world around them. You can support their confidence and understanding by relating their interests to maths concepts such as small, smaller, big, bigger, more, and less (to name a few). The knowledge children gain during their early years can significantly impact their academic goals in later years.

0-1 years

Even before your baby can talk they can do simple maths. Here are some tips and activities to help you teach your baby the language of maths.

  • Moving to the beat of music is a great way to help learn about patterns. Tap your baby’s tummy or clap their hands together to the rhythm of a song or rock them as you sing a lullaby.

  • Songs and games with counting are great ways to introduce numbers to babies. Songs that count a baby’s fingers or toes are a perfect place to start; for example, count and wiggle each of their toes or count as you gently bounce them in your lap. Fun counting rhymes help babies become aware of their bodies and build an understanding of numbers.

  • Help your baby explore things that are the same and different.

    Let them shake containers that make different sounds. Give your baby different types of textures to touch like smooth and scratchy and talk about the differences.

  • Babies love to tip things out. It helps them feel in control. They’re also developing an understanding of early maths concepts like size and amounts.

    For example, use a container to scoop and tip out water in the bathtub. Use words like “in,” “out,” “full,” and “empty.”

1-2 years

You can make all the difference! Here are some tips and activities to help your toddler better understand the language of maths.

  • Number knowledge is an essential part of maths learning. Practising counting with day-to-day activities will help numbers eventually become part of their vocabulary; for example, you could hand them berries as you count. When you get to the last berry, emphasize the total number in the set, say, “One, two, three, four—you have four berries!”

  • Even the simplest puzzles offer lots of learning opportunities. Children learn how to solve problems and keep trying until they figure something out. Let the child take the lead. Give them space to think and problem-solve. Help when needed, like labelling the shapes and encouraging them to try turning the pieces.

  • A toddler may be interested in which things are “big” or “little.” You can also talk to them about whether they want “more” or “less.”. By talking about what is big or small, you are helping them learn size categories.

  • Encourage your toddler to stack blocks or objects like plastic cups, boxes or containers. Talk or sing to them about what they’re doing.

2-3 years

It’s never too early or too late to start talking to your child about maths concepts. Here are some tips and activities to help your toddler better understand the language of maths.

  • Your child is two, so that’s a fun number to learn more about. Using the number ‘two’ in different ways can help them understand it on a deeper level. Talk about things that come in sets of two and contrast with groups of one and three.

  • Point to each object as you count and say how many there are. Split the objects into two groups. Then count each group separately. Try it again with different groupings.

  • Make a game of matching and sorting objects into groups. Arrange them by colour, shape, or size. For example, find as many green things as possible. Sort them from smallest to largest and group objects based on their type (animals, food, transport, toys).

  • Find safe ways for your toddler to participate while you are in the kitchen, like counting and helping to measure ingredients. Measure things if you can, then sort them from smallest to largest.

  • Shapes help us categorize and make sense of the world. Understanding shapes is essential for activities like building and drawing. Point out shapes and describe them to your child. “Look, that window is a square with four sides.” See if they can find and name shapes around them.

Help your child enjoy maths.

Every child has the potential to understand maths and do well in school. By incorporating everyday experiences through play or outside activities that involve counting and comparing, such as identifying big and small, short and tall, less and more, long and short, wide and narrow, some and few, lots, in, and under, you can encourage your child's emerging maths skills.

A child's routine activities offer countless opportunities to learn about mathematical concepts, whether shopping at the supermarket, visiting the local library, playing at the park, or travelling by bus or car. By incorporating maths into everyday situations, children can learn to count, group, and compare in a real-world and meaningful context, which will help them understand and enjoy maths when they go to school.

Talking often with your child about numbers by counting groups of objects that they can see throughout the day, even before they can talk, improves their development and increases their mathematical abilities in the future. Everyday routines and activities are full of opportunities, such as sorting laundry, counting and grouping toys, matching containers with their lids, and clapping or dancing to the beat of music. By increasing a child's engagement with the world around them by using the language of maths, we boost their confidence and help them to gain a better understanding of their surroundings.

See our video below for more tips on how to count, group and compare with your child.