Until the last century, many parents, educators and even scientists believed that children were unable to learn any math before the age of five. Recent research has shown that this assumption was wrong and that, in fact, children are ready to understand the basics of math much earlier.
Both boys and girls are born, almost without exception, with the ability to do well in mathematics, which is a good reason to discover and develop the subject prior to beginning school.
In a study about the most important skills needed for academic performance, pre-math skills were ranked #1, reading skills were ranked #2, while attention-related skills were #3 on the list.
Children who begin elementary school with a good knowledge of numbers, number order, and other rudimentary math concepts, like basic addition and subtraction, have a real advantage that will remain throughout their school years.
And there’s one other good surprise: children advanced in numeracy achieve more not only in math, but also in reading.
Image: The Duck – Number 7 / ChildUp.com
