• Be positive about Math!  Let your child know that math is important and can be fun.  Incorporate that as you give them money to purchase something at the store, or as you shop have them look for numbers, etc.
• Encourage your child to be persistent, even if Math seems to be difficult for him/her.  Praise your child for his/her efforts, and share in the excitement when he/she solves a problem or understands something for the first time.
• Make Math a part of your child's day.  Point out to your child the many ways in which math is used in every day activities.  Encourage him/her to think about how they have used math during their day.
• Have your child act out a problem to solve it. Have your child show how he/she reached a conclusion by drawing pictures or moving objects, and by using their words.
• Count everything!  Count toys, silverware, items of clothes as you take them out of the dryer, etc. Count forwards and backwards from different starting places.
• Sing counting songs and read counting books. There are so many fun songs/books available!
• Ask your child to solve every day number problems. Ex:  "Four of our friends are coming over to dinner.  How many plates will we need to set on the table?"

SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CHILD TO DO:

• Find out how many bites it takes to eat a cookie, an apple, etc.
• Find how many things in the kitchen are shaped like a circle, triangle, square, or rectangle.
• Find how many shoes are in your closet.
• Find how many stairs are in our house.
• Find how many socks you have in your drawer.
• Find how many dolls you have?
• Find how many toy trucks/cars you have?  .... ETC.

ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO DO THESE TASKS THAT HELP DEVELOP MATHEMATICAL CONCEPTS:

• Set the table, counting plates, silverware, glasses, etc.
• Sort the silverware out of hte dishwasher into the drawer.
• Sort a handful of change into the different coin types.
• Sort socks, buttons, pictures, etc.
• Read numbers on signs, price tags, the telphone, clocks, etc.