How to support your 4 year old to develop number sense

When your child starts school, there are so many skills that teachers are building and introducing during the reception year. In this blog we are looking at how to support early learning by building the foundations of maths. We’ll look at how teachers support your child to develop number sense in school and what you can do at home to help. 

What is number sense?

Number sense is about understanding how the number system works, how numbers relate to each other and how to play with them.

Number sense involves:

• Understanding quantities

• Grasping concepts like more and less, and larger and smaller

• Understanding the order of numbers in a list: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.

• Understanding symbols that represent quantities (4 means the same thing as four objects)

• Making number comparisons (4 is greater than 3)

• Recognising relationships between single items and groups of items (five means one group of five items)

Why is number sense important?

When it comes to understanding numbers, everyone is different. Some children will develop number sense quickly whilst others find it difficult. Children who struggle with number sense will find maths very difficult – concepts like addition and multiplication won’t make sense. But it extends beyond struggling with a subject at school because everyday tasks and skills in life, like judging time, measuring and handling money, will also be really difficult. The good news is with time and practise these skills can improve and starting early can make all the difference! 

How is number sense developed at school?

In the early years foundation stage (EYFS) classroom, children are given lots of opportunities to explore and play with numbers. Activities range from sorting buttons to estimating the number of ping-pong balls in a jar. Teachers regularly talk about how many children are in school and how many are absent. They help children to visualise this with interactive whiteboards or pictures of students on a pin board in two columns. Voting is also common from counting the number of hands raised in the air or slips of paper in a pot. These daily activities really build number confidence. 

How to develop number sense at home

It doesn’t all have to happen at school though. There are so many wonderful ways you can engage with numbers in and around your home. Rule number one – developing number sense should be active and fun! Children need to handle objects to really grasp number concepts. Below you’ll find three fun maths games that don’t require any special resources. Include them in your next playtime together and enjoy developing number sense with your child. 

This is an activity that helps develop your child’s concept of size v quantity. You can use the fruit in your fridge at home or while out shopping. 

Ask your child to order the fruit by size and count them. Getting children to count objects of different sizes helps them to realise that size does not affect the quantity. For example 3 apples are a smaller quantity than 10 grapes even though they can hold the grapes in their hands.

Try asking these questions:

• Which is the biggest fruit and which is the smallest?

• Are there more grapes than there are apples?

• If you eat one of the grapes, how many will be left now?

• If you have a satsuma or orange – peel the fruit and break into segments. Count how many segments inside the fruit. Then talk about how many segments there will be if you have 2 or more satsumas. This is the foundation of the concept of multiplication.

Want to learn more?

If your 4 year old is keen to explore numbers or seems a little reluctant, our friendly English and maths tutors at Explore Learning are here to offer a helping hand. We build maths and English confidence through activities tailored to your child’s unique ability, working at their pace, introducing concepts when they are ready. Why not visit one of our vibrant learning centres and pop in for a free session today.