Why Early Numeracy Skills are Important

It is important to support the development of numeracy skills, as we do language and literacy skills, starting in early childhood. Achievement gaps in math and science appear before kindergarten. Early math skills are essential to children’s school readiness and later learning. Research tells us that early math skills are the best predictor of later success in school. In fact, preschoolers’ math skills predict both third grade reading and math scores. In contrast, preschoolers’ early reading skills only predict later reading scores. This is not to say that reading is not important – because it is! We want to highlight how important math skills are to children’s development across learning domains. For example, learning the names for shapes also develops language skills. Sorting sticks by size supports physical development. And making sure each stuffed animal has a teacup during pretend play supports social emotional development.

Math is integral to all learning. And children have a natural interest in it! Let’s look at some ways you can support learning numeracy skills during children’s daily activities and play.