From the earliest days of life, babies are sponges for learning, absorbing knowledge from their surroundings.
Did you know that you can teach babies about mathematics during mealtime? By doing this you support the development of a baby’s thinking skills. You can teach your baby about concepts like quality, wanting ‘more’, the bowl being empty and full, and basic counting numbers (1,2,3).
Some Mathematic Concepts to Teach:
Full and Empty
Start by narrating the mealtime experience, pointing out concepts like fullness and emptiness. For example, as you fill your baby’s bowl with porridge, you can remark, “Look how full the bowl is!” Later, as your baby finishes eating, you can say “You ate it all up! Now the bowl is empty.” This simple dialogue helps your baby grasp the concepts of fullness and emptiness.
Basic Counting: 1,2,3
Incorporate basic counting into your baby’s mealtime. For example, when serving strawberries, count them out loud, “You’ve got two strawberries. One, two!” This not only introduces counting but also reinforces numerical concepts in a fun and relatable way.
More or Less
Expose your baby to mathematical language by using terms like “more” and “less” during mealtime activities. Encourage your baby to express their desires by asking if they want more food. Show them how you add more food to their bowl when they ask, reinforcing the concept of quantity.
Embrace these moments with enthusiasm and see how baby’s mathematics skills grow each mealtime interaction.