Just as parents can help their children be ready to learn to read, they can give children a good start in learning math by helping them develop proficiency with informal math concepts and skills.
Play games such as dominoes and board games.
Find natural opportunities to count, to sort objects, to match collections of objects, to identify shapes (while reading bedtime stories, going up stairs, setting the table, etc.).
Count a collection of objects and use number words to identify very small collections.
Talk with your child about simple math problems and ideas. (How many spoons do we need to set the table? Give me the cup with the two flowers on it. Find the other circle on this page. Sort the blocks by shape.)
Have high expectations. Children’s math achievement is shaped—and limited—by what is expected of them.