Pre-Number Skills

In order to develop strong number sense and an understanding of early math concepts, it is important for children to develop pre-number skills. Pre-number skills lay the foundation for understanding numbers and their value. Through activities and games that focus on quantity, early number recognition, and simple addition and subtraction, children can begin to develop these essential skills.

One way to develop pre-number skills is through quantity discrimination. This involves being able to identify how many objects are in a given group, without counting them individually. This can be done through simple games and activities such as sorting objects into groups, matching objects to the correct numeral, and using verbal language to describe the quantity of objects.

Early number recognition is another important pre-number skill. This means being able to identify numbers 0-10 and understanding that each number represents a specific quantity. This can be developed through activities such as counting objects, identifying numbers in the environment, and playing games that focus on number recognition.

Finally, simple addition and subtraction are important pre-number skills that lay the foundation for more complex math concepts. Children can begin to develop these skills by adding and subtracting objects within a given group, using their fingers to keep track of the quantity. Games and activities that focus on combining and separating groups of objects can also be helpful in developing these skills.