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Benefits of Early Numeracy at Home – Sequence of 5 Learning/Lesson Plans

Alexandra Malatesta

501020459

Toronto Metropolitan University, School of Early Childhood Studies

CLD 317:021- Concept Development in Math

Professor Lisa Johnston

Tuesday, November 28th, 2023

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The home environment has a significant impact on shaping early mathematical

proficiency in young children. Early onset exposure to mathematical practice promotes and

contributes to critical thinking, logical reasoning, and proficient problem-solving skills. Early

numeracy experiences are necessary for the future success of children. With growing concern

within Canadian schools that children are not securing the foundational mathematical skills or

confidence as they enter secondary and post-secondary education, the push to implement early

learning opportunities for young children is necessary. As future employment prospects such as

engineering, computer science, commerce, and technology rely on one’s mathematical

proficiencies, mathematical achievement is paramount to meet the employment demands of the

future.

Alex Silver et al., explain in the article entitled “Parental Math Input is Not Uniformly

Beneficial for Young Children: The Modelling Role of Inhibitory Control” that the math talk by a

caregiver can impact a child’s current and future performance. The home involvement that

encourages activities such as measuring ingredients and playing board games demonstrated

superior math results in particular studies (Silver et al., 2022). Noted was that participation in

informal as opposed to formal learning opportunities was more suitable in helping children

nurture mathematical proficiencies. Surprisingly, the frequency of informal math participation

correlates to formal mathematical achievement at school (Zhang et al., 2020). Mathematical

instruction through play offers an effective method to help children consolidate mathematical

concepts. For example, playing with blocks was linked to future success as children scored

higher in numeracy, shape recognition, and mathematical language (Simoncini et al., 2020).
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Block play provides manipulatives to support the learning of concepts such as one-to-one

correspondence, addition, and subtraction (Simoncini et al., 2020).

With evidence to suggest the value of at-home early mathematical experiences, caregivers

can begin to provide opportunities to set the foundation for numerical proficiency. These lesson

plans will encourage math talks through literature, singing of songs, games, and exploration,

helping young children consolidate mathematical theories through language and real-life

experiences. In implementing lessons, the time frame will be between thirty to forty minutes,

given the children's age and the ability to focus, along with multiple opportunities to engage in

informal activities. The frequency of the activities is essential in consolidating learning through

revisiting activities.
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References

Silver, A. M., Elliott, L., & Libertus, M. E. (2022). Parental Math Input Is Not Uniformly

Beneficial for Young Children: The Moderating Role of Inhibitory Control. Journal of

Educational Psychology, 114(51), 1178–1191. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000679

Simoncini, K., Forndran, A., Manson, E., Sawi, J., Philip, M., & Kokinai, C. (2020). The Impact

of Block Play on Children’s Early Mathematics Skills in Rural Papua New Guinea.

International Journal of Early Childhood, 52, 77–93.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-020-00261-9

Zhang, X., Zou, X., Ying Hu, B., & Ren, L. (2020). Parent–Child Number Application Activities

Predict Children’s Math Trajectories from Preschool to Primary School. Journal of

Educational Psychology, 112(8), 1521–1531. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000457