Video: Everyday Fun with Counting

Research finds that having a strong foundation in early math can lead to higher achievement in both math and reading later in school. Starting from birth, young children benefit from hearing number words and other math language, and later, from practicing math skills that involve counting during daily activities with parents and caregivers. In the first five years, your child learns about counting by:

• Hearing the number sequence and, with experience, learning number names and repeating them in order
• Observing adults counting objects and, in time, practicing counting by saying the number sequence themselves
• Talking about the amount of things by using number words or words like “more” or “a lot.”
• Using counting in simple math activities: When you ask questions like, “How many will be left if we take one away? Could we find out?" this helps children begin to think about counting as a way to solve everyday number problems, including simple adding and subtracting and comparing quantities.

Watch the video or download our handout with fun activities designed to support young children’s growing knowledge of counting from birth to 5. This is a part of a series of videos Too Small to Fail developed with ZERO TO THREE highlighting the foundation of early math skills in the first five years of life, and fun, everyday activities parents and caregivers can use to support this learning.