Absolutely! Little minds are like sponges and they are very capable of grasping basic math concepts. Year 1 students can engage in simple counting, understanding “more” or “less,” and even beginning to recognise patterns. It’s a great age to ignite their curiosity in numbers and shapes.

When thinking about how to help your child with maths, it’s all about making learning fun and meaningful! Play math games, use everyday situations for counting, read books with numbers, and always be patient and encouraging.

Your little one should be familiar with counting up to 20, recognising basic shapes, and beginning to understand simple addition and subtraction. They may also start exploring the concept of place value in a very basic way, such as understanding that ’10’ is ten ones.

For young children, it’s important to keep learning activities short and sweet. Spending 10-15 minutes daily on focused maths activities is usually sufficient. However, integrating maths into everyday playful activities and conversations can also be an effective and less structured way to reinforce learning.

It’s important not to pressure them. Instead, try to make maths fun and relatable. Use games, stories, or everyday situations to teach maths concepts. It’s also helpful to praise their efforts rather than just correct answers, and to be patient, as interests can evolve.