Early Maths

Maths begins with real things.

Young children understand maths through bodies, objects, routines and words: more, fewer, same, bigger, smaller, first, next, altogether and again.

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What the research says only matters if you can see it in the room.

Early Maths

Plain Answer

What parents need to know.

Early maths grows through concrete play, number talk, sorting, patterning, blocks, board games, measuring and everyday comparison.

Children also need one-to-one matching, comparing, sorting, patterning, spatial language, measurement and problem-solving.

Blocks, beads, cups, snacks, shells, dice and board games let children test maths with their hands.

Everyday questions like "Who has more?", "What comes next?" and "How can we share?" build thinking without pressure.

Make It Visible

Parents usually need fewer abstract terms and more things they can actually notice.

At NAS

Maths appears in blocks, cooking, line-up, snack, tidy-up, stories, pattern games and playful problem-solving.

At home

Count stairs, sort laundry, share fruit, notice shapes, compare cups and play simple board games.

Watch for

Matching, comparing, estimating, using number words with meaning and explaining a pattern.

Let your child move one object for each number word so counting becomes meaningful.

Use words like more, fewer, taller, shorter, heavier, lighter, first and last.

Simple dice-and-move board games build number sense, turn-taking and self-control.

Parent FAQ

Short answers help families compare advice, ask better questions and see what NAS means in practice.

Number sense means understanding quantity, order, comparison and relationships, not only reciting number names.

Use real objects: sort, count, share, compare, cook, build, measure and play simple board games.

Number writing comes after children understand quantity through objects, movement and talk. Drawing and fine-motor play help prepare the hand.