Children learn early math through play.
This morning I watched a mother hold her six-month-old baby. They were watching a screen together and the mother was singing along a counting song. "Twenty-two, twenty-three..."
There was nothing truly wrong with the scene except expectations. The baby was content. She was being cuddled and sung to, so her needs were mostly being met. But already there's a clash of expectations. What's valuable to the adult versus what's valuable to the child. What's possible and reasonable to expect at a child's given age versus what's pushing an adult agenda.
Drilling numbers early doesn't speed up a child's natural development. Counting to twenty-two is still years off. First comes the concept of "more" and then "she has more cookies than I do!"
Kids grasp early math concepts through life and play.
The same mismatch of expectations comes with ubiquitous calendars in preschool and kindergarten classrooms. Starting around age three, adults push the idea of Monday and November and 2015, despite the fact that most children's natural brain development is not ready to grasp these time concepts until closer to age seven.
We waste children's time when we use their time for "educational material" that ought to wait for later.
I understand the urge. Parents simply want their kids to have the best start possible. They truly dread the idea of falling behind, so they grab onto screen programs billed as educational. It's hard for adults to realize there are some things you just can't speed up.
Time is key. But not rushing time. Taking time.
What ways have you seen young kids use math concepts in their play? Are there babies counting to 22 in your town, too?
So much common sense wisdom in such a simple message. Thank, Heather.
Absolutely loved this post Heather, thank you! I know parents that have been doing flashcards with their kids since very early in their life, for me it didn't feel good. Now your post has put it so clear. It is about time, but give time for every stage of development and allow them to play and let them get the concepts at a more appropriate time. Take time, don't rush time, loved this!
And I specially liked when you talk about parents dreading their kids fall behind, once again this is another issue that is about the parents and not the kids. I've worked, and keep working, on keeping my own expectations at bay and just allow my daughters to unfold their beautiful and brilliant characters at their own time.
Thanks again!!
To my nearly 4-year-old, "yesterday" is any day that was in the past. Certainly makes things confusing for us when she's talking about something that occurred almost a year ago, but she's formulating how time works. She knows Tuesday is recycle truck day, but I have no idea if she understands the frequency of that occurrence, and that's okay. She'll get there and I'm so grateful to have advocates like you.
Ha ha.. my three year old too.. Yesterday.....
Yesterday is a great word, isn't it? My son at age 5 said "Can we play at Addie's house yesterday?" He knew it was a time word.
I remember reading something somewhere (maybe an REI site?) pointing out that before you try to "teach" your baby something, you need to ask yourself what he would have been learning in that time that you've now displaced, and which was more important.
If the kid is 6 months old, there's not even any kind of doubt: what nature was teaching him during those minutes was far more important than the numbers or letters you decided to drill: e.g., sensory integration, correlation of cause-and-effect, the fundamentals of universal grammar, recognition of key phonemes in his native language. . .
Anybody who thinks counting or memorizing the number series is more important than these things is simply a moron, and shouldn't be trying to direct anybody's education.
Lovely point. I often think in terms of "opportunity cost." What are you giving up to make time for what you are doing?
I used to sing numbers to baby B when I was so exhausted I couldnt think of any songs. Great article though.
Ha! Great time to use numbers. Your singing is what counts.