Early childhood centers are designed to provide the foundation that children need in order to

succeed elementary school and beyond. This education is very is very critical in preparing
children to enter and succeed in the classroom set up. Most preschool curriculums introduce
children to various academic concepts emphasizing reading skills and mathematics.
Most of these children come to preschool with an initial understanding of mathematical ideas
and concepts. These ideas and concepts form the basis and foundation of their later
mathematics learning. These different mathematics ideas and Concepts develop during their
early years, way before the start formal schooling. They begin to learn mathematics mainly
from their environment. Which develop a base of skills. Skills are naturally developed as
children explore and begin to understand the world around them.
There are a number of mathematics ideas and concepts that children may acquire from their
environment. These include the concept of numbers, quantities, patterns and shapes. Although
they may not comprehend these mathematics concepts and consciously apply them, they
rather understand them through their everyday activities.
Children can also use concepts such as comparisons and measurements, starting, organizing
toys and counting objects. Others include recognizing colors and shapes, putting together
puzzle pieces or Lego blocks and making comparisons. These concepts occur naturally in
everyday life. Other early math concepts include geometry and special reasoning, adding and
subtraction. Children are thought to already understand these mathematics concepts intuitively
from birth and are motivated and able to engage in mathematical thinking and problem solving
long before they begin formal schooling. The explore math on their own through free play and
during informal social interactions with their peers.
Children start using math throughout their daily routine activities without actually realizing it.
For example babies understand the cause and effect of shaking a rattle knowing that it will
make some sound. These mathematical activities are beneficial because such skills can later be
improved upon to form the basic mathematical foundation once they start formal schooling,
Way before children enter school, they are able to do numbering and counting. Intuitive sense
of number begins at a very early age. Children as early as two years of age can confidently
identify one, two or three before they can count with understanding (Gelman & Galistel, 1978).
Children are able to recite numbers in sequence. They are also able to master number names
and Arabic numerals used in mathematics and solve simple mathematical problems. Children
are also able to engage in both rote and rational counting. They can count forward and
backwards. Children are naturally visual and are able to recognize numbers as a represented
item.
Children are also able to recognize shapes and spatial relationships way before they come to
preschool. They are able to tell the difference between differently shaped objects. They may
not be able to understand formulas of shapes but they will have the knowledge of identifying
shapes by names, comparing, sorting, classifying and drawing them. They are also able to fit
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objects in space by putting them in containers. This basic knowledge of understanding space
and spatial relationship are important as they form the basis for multiple mathematical
concepts. Children use their senses to observe and receive information about objects and
people in the environment. Children and infants develop spatial skills by mouthing objects,
manipulating toys in their hands and looking at them from different erspectives.
Children are able to understand the concept of measurement way before they enter preschool.
They are able to tell the difference in size, weight, volume, length and time. It also includes
comparing and ordering. They are also able to tell big and small, long and short, tall and short.
For example children are able to tell that certain objects are taller than them and that their
friend is bigger than they are. They are able to tell the difference between light and heavy
objects through manipulation. They can also tell that the size of a structure can increase or
decrease depending on the size. Children can easily do measurement by observing several
objects and interact with them.
Children are able to recognize patterns and also to actually create patterns and shapes. They
can easily do this through repetition of objects, events, color texture or even sounds. To create
patterns, children observe, recognize, and repeat relationships between objects. They may
make patterns using books, beads and strings. They may also alternate colours, sizes or
numerical patterns. They may explore patterns as they dance and clap. Pattern recognition
helps children to apply their reasoning skills, make predictions and find logical connections in
order to understand and identify patterns. Pattering will lead to another sill of seriation. This is
the ordering and sequencing based on size. This concept will eventually lead children to an
understanding of quantification that is to say how much and how many.
Subtracting and adding is yet another concept that children learn way before they come to
early childhood class. The basic skill of adding and subtracting are a normal every day activity
that children engage in. Through the general activity such as sharing of cookies to ensure that
they have equal number, children engage in adding and subtracting. Adding and subtracting
occur naturally in children’s every day activities. Through activities such as putting together and
taking away children are able to learn these interesting operations. For example, a child may
learn adding if you ask them to give an extra one orange to a friend who already has two to
make it three. As they move beyond answering the conversational ‘how many’ question, they
may be able to solve for the sum or difference of two numbers.
Sorting and classifying is another skill that children engage in. This involves grouping objects by
characteristics. When ordering children compare more than two objects or groups and place
them in logical sequence. They may order them based on size or shape such as from smallest to
the largest. They may also place them based on first to last. For example a child may be able to
place objects of different shapes and sizes in order of size, shape and colour. They may also
classify by sorting balls of a particular colour into the corresponding same coloured bowls.
Without realizing it, through play children may find themselves naturally busy sorting and
organizing. Through the process of sorting children are able to compare by identifying similarity
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in objects. Children are able to identify similarities and differences in colour, shape, weight and
size of objects.
Representation, an ability to use symbols or tokens to quantities and operations is yet another
concept. Children are able to share sweets according to the number of years. For instance a
child may say to a friend “I will give you four sweets because you are four years.”
Children also come with the skill of estimation. This is the ability to approximate values.
Children are able to make an educated guess about size and quantity.
Mathematics plays an important role in children’s development and help them make sense of
the world around them. The basic mathematics skills and concepts set the building blocks for
the entire child’s academic career, without these basic skills concepts and skills, children may
find it challenging to get started in preschool. However, children develop at different paces and
so are these mathematical concepts and skills for individual children. The skills concepts have a
long lasting impact on children and help them to excel later academically.