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One of the most important building blocks of early childhood learning

Happy 2022 everyone!

May this year be full of good health, much joy and lots of learning fun!


Math is one of the most important building blocks of early childhood learning. Luckily math is all around us – it forms part of our everyday conversations and actions.


Let’s look at the language of math we can use to describe our worlds:

  • More than – she has more candies than I do

  • Less than - if I eat a candy I will have less

  • Equal – we both have an equal number of candies.

  • Light or heavy – this toy, object, is lighter or heavier

  • Small or big - sort the small toys and the big toys.

Numbers are the basis of math. While it is relatively easy to learn to chant the numbers from 1 – 10 or 1 – 20, it is much harder to use them to count!


Our little ones need to practice this by counting physical things that are important to them. Encourage them to touch the objects as they count to make it more concrete. You can also ask them to write the number down on a piece of paper.


  • How many strawberries, chocolate chips, cookies do I have?

  • Are there more strawberries or chocolate chips?

  • How many red objects can you see in the room?

  • Count the steps to the kitchen, to the bathroom, to your bedroom

  • Count the hugs and kisses too!

We can use these skills in games around the house to reinforce the concept of one-to one correspondence. (Each object gets its own number and only that number)


  • Put enough forks on the table for everyone

  • While you sort laundry – how many shirts do you have, does she have?

  • Play a hunting game – find two shoes, one stuffed animal, three books


This simple game will reinforce the concepts of counting and will begin to develop a sense of numbers !


  1. Put liners or pieces of paper in the sections of a muffin pan

  2. Ask your child to put the corresponding number of snacks, pieces of cereal, into each section.

  3. Ask them to count out the number of snack or cereal pieces they eat

  4. Ask older children to see how many are left…


One Duck Stuck is a funny counting story. You can count the creatures who try to help the duck Listen for the rhymes and count them too!


You can hear the story read for you here:



What will you count today? Happy counting!




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