Introduction

Numeracy refers to the knowledge, abilities, behaviors, and dispositions required for pupils to utilize mathematics in a variety of circumstances. It entails recognizing and comprehending mathematics''s function in the world, as well as possessing the attitudes and capabilities to apply mathematical knowledge and skills intentionally.

Most people experience mathematics in everyday personal, study, and professional circumstances including numbers, measurement and geometry, statistics, and probability. Equally significant are the crucial roles that algebra, functions and relations, logic, mathematical structure, and mathematical thinking play in people''s knowledge of the natural and human worlds, as well as their connection.

Children begin to develop numeracy abilities at a young age. You can assist your kid to develop early numeracy by incorporating math skills and ideas into everyday activities. There are a few early numeracy abilities that your preschooler may need to learn before they begin adding or counting numbers.

What is Numeracy Ability?

Numeracy is defined as the capacity to recognize and apply mathematical principles in all aspects of life. Understanding numbers, counting, solving number problems, measuring, estimating, sorting, detecting patterns, adding and subtracting numbers, and so on are all examples of numeracy abilities.

Numeracy and maths abilities are required for both children and adults to accomplish everyday tasks such as:

• Solve issues, such as, ''Do I have time to walk to school?''
• Analyze and interpret data – for example, how many victories does my team need to win the championship?
• Recognize patterns — for example, what number would the next home on this street have?
• Make a decision - for example, which bike is the best buy?

Everyday encounters for your child are rich with learning opportunities that create the groundwork for numeracy.

5 Ways to Develop Early Numeracy Skills in Children

These abilities may be developed outside of the classroom and in our everyday encounters! We''ll show you how!

1. Inside, Outside, and All-Around

Isn''t math more than simply numbers? Spatial thinking is important in making links between arithmetic and the actual world. Understanding how items appear from various angles, how objects fit together, and how they are spaced is referred to as spatial thinking. For example, if your youngster understands ''large and little,'' it will be easier to explain ''6 is bigger than 5.'' They may be able to perceive the numbers more linearly if they mentally envision one number as ''larger'' than another.

There are a few things you can do to assist your child to develop spatial thinking for early numeracy:

• Spatial play is exemplified by blocks and puzzles. 
• Talk to your youngster about the many components of the game - ''we''ve put the big block on top of the little block.''
• Prop a big basket against the wall by turning it sideways. 
• Prompt your youngster to kick a ball into the ''goal'' basket. 
• This needs your youngster to comprehend the concept of distance, measure space, and kick the ball.

2. Bigger Than This, Smaller Than That

Children''s estimating skills have been built on the foundation of comparison skills in numeracy. Estimation activities are simple to integrate into your everyday routine. In this case, your youngster will go beyond guessing and develop an estimate based on logic and comparison.

A “measuring scavenger hunt” activity might help your youngster focus on size estimate and comparison. 

• Allow your youngster to use their hands or other body parts as a ''measuring'' instrument. “Can you find a leaf the size of your hands?” 
• Hold the items against your palms and note the responses once all of the materials have been collected.
• Fill the jar with tiny objects such as pebbles, candy, flowers, and so on, and have your child guess how many there are. Then take them out and add them together to get the total. 
• Direct their attention to aspects and trends in your daily life, and ask them some ‘estimate-specific'' questions.

3. Developing Their Skills

Your kid first recognizes a form as a symbol before learning the characteristics of each shape later in life. The capacity to recognize such forms sets the groundwork for subsequent understanding of signs and symbols in mathematical ideas.

Children learn to create, compare, compose, and decompose forms as they explore them, which aids in the development of pattern identification, spatial awareness, and other essential early math concepts.

Incorporate tangrams into your child''s everyday play and allow him or her to discover how shapes may be combined to form larger images and hence encourage numeracy ability. Conduct ''shape hunts,'' in which you identify various shapes in your surroundings.

4. Measured Up!

Indulge your child in cooking as much as possible. It helps in the improvement of numeracy abilities. Allow them to assist you in measuring and dropping ingredients. Although they may be unable to measure using tapes and weights, you may assist them in measuring and estimating using non-standard measuring instruments, etc.

“Could you please give me two cups of flour?” “Could you please drop in one piece of carrot?” To assist with measuring and counting, use blocks. Construct a block tower and inspire your youngster to construct one of their own. Count the number of blocks in each tower and determine which tower has the most. Doesn''t it seem like a good time?

5. 1, 2… clap!

If you''ve helped your child discover patterns, they''re now ready to create their own to encourage numeracy. We can do this through the use of music. Beats and rhythms can be used to assist toddlers to understand the pattern.

Play music that is loud and has a powerful bass or pace. Show how to clap, tap your knees, or even march to the beat of the song. You may also try to synchronize your movements to the song''s speed, clapping slowly or quickly. Similarly, you may make a pattern without music by clapping or tapping and have your child follow along. Repetitive songs and rhymes help youngsters recognize and follow a pattern.

Conclusion

Playing with your toddler helps them develop communication, imagination, and other abilities that will help him master arithmetic in the future. These suggestions can help you and your kid have fun while learning early math skills and numeracy.