The Importance of Preschool Math
Most beautiful is the spark in a child’s eye when a foundational math concept clicks in her mind—it’s inspiring in the moment and in the promise it holds for her future. Would you like to help your child love math while still in preschool?
What are the benefits of teaching my child math at a young age?
- Brain Development (Kennedy Institute)
- Ninety percent of brain development occurs before age 5.
- Early experiences contribute significantly to the capacity of the brain.
- Early interactions directly affect the way the brain is wired.
- A child’s math knowledge at the start of kindergarten predicts later academic achievement better than early reading or the ability to focus and pay attention. (NAEYC)
- More than 20 years of research suggests that fundamental math skills are the building blocks for future success. (Stevenson & Newman, 1986)
- Children who demonstrate strong prekindergarten math skills achieve higher math scores in high school. (Stevenson & Newman, 1986).
- Early math skills are also a strong predictor of literacy skills. An analysis of six longitudinal studies showed that early math skills have the greatest predictive power of later achievement, followed by reading and then attention skills (Duncan, et. al., 2007).
- Children engage in math content 4% of the day in most pre -K programs and 9% of the day in kindergarten. (Vanderbilt University) Does this amount of allocated time for math truly help young children understand and learn to love math?
