Babies and Math

Babies and Math

Can babies do math? A recent study of two dozen infants seems to say “Yes!” The study used very simple activities to demonstrate subtraction, and then watched the babies’ reaction to correct and incorrect answers. During the demonstration the babies had 128 sensors connected to their heads to measure what parts of their brains they were using. The amazing thing is that they seemed to be using the same parts of their brains that adults use when the do complicated math problems!

How can you encourage your baby’s math and analytical skills? Try showing him or her colored playing cards (like Uno). Your baby will love scattering them in all directions! Then, when you get a chance, flip several cards color-up and tell the color (like, “blue, blue, green, yellow,” etc.). Then try telling your baby the numbers on the cards (like, “eight, four, two, five,” etc.).

Any counting activity will also help your baby’s math skills. For example, when you go down the slide at the park count, “One, two, three!” and slide on “three.” When you build a tower with blocks, count the blocks as you stack them. It may not seem to pay off immediately, but everything your baby hears gets processed in their brain and helps them build related skills. Also, counting and talking out loud to your baby helps your baby learn to talk!

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Comments

I have the Math book and my son loved it! We didn’t really stick with it, though, so I don’t know whether it really “worked” or not, but I can tell you now at 2 1/2 he has a strong concept of numbers, counting (can count 1 to 10 in English and Spanish), numbers on a clock and is beginning to understand that if he has 3 stars and needs 5 for a new car, he needs 2 more. Not quite there, but I do wonder if the few months we did this program, if it helped.

I guess that fact that he has a strong concept of numbers that the book helped in a way build his foundation for numbers. It really helped your child :)

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