A new University of Chicago study finds that preschoolers who are talked to about numbers are more likely to do better at math once they begin school.  Earlier this week, HealthDay News reported the findings published in a recent issue of Development Psychology.

Simply talking about numbers so that preschoolers understand that the “size of the set of objects is determined by the last number reached when counting the set,” can show “marked individual differences in their math knowledge, as shown by their performance in standardized tests.” While the study names parents as those able to help boost math skills, Savvy Aunties can help too.

When reading a story to a baby or preschool niece or nephew, count the number of items on the page, even if it’s not a ‘counting’ book per say: “One chick. Two chicks. Three chicks. There are three chicks on this page. Let’s count the chicks again. One chick. Two chicks. Three chicks. There are three chicks! This time, count with me! One chick. Two chicks. Three chicks!”

If you take your niece or nephew grocery shopping, instead of just putting the apples in a bag, count the apples: “How many apples should we buy? Let’s see. One apple. Two apples. Three apples. Four apples. Look sweetie, we’re buying four apples!”

Can’t find anything to count? Count her fingers! Count his toes! Count your kisses!

Whatever you do, keep counting around your nieces and nephews. Your attention to their development sure counts indeed.

Published: November 14, 2010