When it comes to introducing math, how early is too early?

Eventually, you will introduce them to bigger numbers by asking them to place three or four spoons on the dinner table, to use five colored pencils for their drawing, or to invite ten friends to their birthday party.

Their math journey has begun! How can we as parents ensure this journey is interesting, rewarding, and fulfilling? 

We can often recall our own successes in sports or music, which were usually introduced at an early age. A young age – between 0 and 6 – is a time of intense and easy learning for your child. During this period, your child’s brain is the most malleable, readily establishing connections and developing skills that will take much more time and effort later on. If you have ever tried to learn a foreign language or a new sport as an adult, you might have noticed how much harder it was to achieve a desirable level of competence than it was when you were a child. This is the main reason why we emphasize the importance of starting math early. 

How can I start my child's math education early?

It is truly as simple as introducing your child to the world of math concepts through everyday life activities and events. Parents often ask: "When should we start doing this?" The answer is simple: You don't have to do anything special and you're probably already doing this while talking to your child. We frequently use words like: first and second, bigger and smaller, greater or less than, one toy, two socks, five fingers, ten toes. You are already using math language when you talk, feed, and dress your child. 

Math language is also used in these situations: 

- Counting different objects (cars in the driveways as you walk around the neighborhood, people you meet, streets you cross);

- Reading numbers around you (prices in the grocery store, house numbers, phone numbers;

- Identifying shapes (a light ray as a straight line, a circular plate, a cylindrical drinking glass, a square rug, a rectangular box);

- Comparing values of objects (more, less, or equal).

Utilizing these words in your daily routine will help build your child’s basic mathematical vocabulary, which will then make learning math in school much easier. The same can be done with basic operations, such as addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. The more your child is exposed to these early on, the more natural their relationship with math will become.

What should I do if my child is past this age?

If your child is in school and is struggling with math, just know that it's never too late to start learning anything and great achievements are possible at any age. A determined learner can always turn things around!

A challenge that older students encounter is motivation. If you can help your child find that motivation, everything is possible. A great way to do so is to model that behavior yourself. Regularly ask your child about what they are learning in math class; show them that math is used in your daily life, when calculating the price of produce by weight at the grocery store or doubling a recipe in the kitchen. Building new habits will take time and effort, but if successful, can have a powerful effect on all aspects of your child’s life.

The important thing to remember is that it’s never too late to encourage math education. Interest, motivation, and determination together make miracles happen.

Still, the best rule of thumb is: the earlier, the better.

This blog was originally posted in 2020 and has since been updated.