What does reading have to do with math? A child has to be able to read the problem and understand what is the problem to solve. This does not mean we have to read word problems to our two year olds. But reading does help children develop skills of analyzing, inferring, and making conclusions. All of these higher level thinking skills will be needed in the future to help our children solve problems that they are faced with in math and in the world.
Even more, at the young age, there are many books that have math ideas in them. For instance, Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar (one of my children's favorites) has days of the weeks, numbers, and the idea of growing and changing. Any of Marilyn Burns' books that are written on the pre-kindergarten and elementary level have a lot of math ideas in them. Many of the nursery rhymes also have number ideas, like "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe." Of course at the young age, read stories to your children daily and more than once a day if you can spare the time. The more we communicate, the more our children will learn to communicate their ideas, no matter the subject.
You know that this is one of my passions, but it's so true. It's amazing how much kids pick up just through conversation. Even when you don't see the results immediately, it's stored somewhere in their memories, and when the time is right, out it comes!
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