Talking about numbers is important for children’s math learning. Number talks during daily activities and play has a positive effect on children’s math knowledge in future years.
Activities:
Primary/Junior/Intermediate
Estimation is an important part of our everyday lives, and in school, it helps students judge the reasonableness of their solutions.
Show your child this picture or give them a single sheet of toilet paper and a full roll:
Ask them, “How many sheets are on the roll of toilet paper? What is an estimate is too low? What is an estimate that is too high? What is an estimate that is just right? Why? ”
For additional images, check out the Estimation180 website.
Some tips to help your child understand the meaning of numbers:
Count and discuss how many objects you see instead of just reciting the counting sequence (primary)
Count and label the number of objects (e.g., “There are three books. One, two, three!”) (primary)
Watch your child’s number gestures. Sometimes their gestures show they understand the quantity, but they say the wrong number (e.g., for a set of two books the child holds up two fingers but says “three books”) (primary)
As your child counts objects, point to each object and model holding up your fingers to show the quantity counted (primary)
Use numbers that are larger than the numbers your child already understands or uses (primary/junior/intermediate)
Use numbers that you find in your everyday lives. Compare quantities of items and prices to determine which is the better buy when shopping (primary/junior/intermediate)
Talk to your child about how you are using numbers in your daily life. This will show them why numbers are important and how useful math is (primary/junior/intermediate)
Making number talk a regular part of daily life helps your child build a strong knowledge of number, which is foundational for future math learning!
Check out the Monthly Math Problem!