The Language of Math

Watch the video. Then try using some of the language below in everyday conversations with kids:

Spatial Relations

When talking about where things are, use words like under, over, around, through, behind, next to. For instance: “Your shoes are next to the door” or “The cat crawled under the couch.”

Measurements

Words and concepts like more, most, and less are foundations to math skills like learning to add and subtract! Use these words, as well as words like full, empty, a lot, a little, whole, half, equal, many, few. For instance: “Your glass is empty,” or “She has the most crackers.”

Comparisons

Use words like: large, small, light, heavy, same, different. For instance: “Let’s sort all the large books on this shelf” or “Let’s compare. Are these two socks different or the same?”