“They didn’t teach us this in school!“
This is a common refrain among adults navigating real-life financial activities like buying a house or setting up a business. The math skills that are taught in school – calculus, algebra, and geometry – often seem unrelated to everyday life (raise your hand if you asked your teacher, “when am I really going to use this?”).
Real-life numeracy is a crucial life skill that kids need to develop to truly be independent, and parents can help by establishing family habits around math and numbers.
But wait – this is not as boring as it sounds! There are no math flashcards here. Just practical suggestions for establishing easy and rewarding family habits that build numeracy skills.
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0-5 years old
Believe it or not, babies are born with an intuitive sense of quantity. Infants as young as 6 months old can detect differences of 2x in quantity, like noticing when there are twice as many toys on a table or dots on a screen.
When babies turn into toddlers, parents often direct their children’s attention to object colours, shapes, or sizes (like, “wow, look at the big brown goose!”). However, research shows that when parents regularly point out quantity instead (like, ‘Look! Three geese are walking by!’), their children learn to count faster and build a stronger foundation in math.
Family habit: Using concrete tokens to draw attention to quantity
With your little one, decorate 10 bookmarks and write the numbers 1 through 10 on them. Once your child is old enough (18 months+), let them choose the books they want to read that day by marking them with the bookmarks. Help them place the bookmarks in the pages with the number sticking out of the top. As you read each book, put the bookmark back in a sleeve for tomorrow. Through daily repetition, this habit will build a concrete understanding of quantity that will support their developing number sense.
5-9 years old
At this age, children are beginning to understand numbers in a more abstract way, enabling them to do mental math, like adding and subtracting. They also have a good understanding of time and money. Now is the perfect time to give your child a small budget to manage themselves.
Family habit: Managing a small budget
Take your child grocery shopping with you and assign them a small snack budget for the week, say $15, to choose their own after-school snacks for the week (within reason!). Help them mentally add up the prices to ensure they stay within their budget. This routine gives them a sense of autonomy and provides an incentive to add things up properly and to get the best value for their money.
Financial Planning is the Best Way to Stay Ahead of the Curve
10-15 years old
During these years, children refine their mathematical skills and tackle more complex problems like fractions, percentages, and advanced arithmetic operations. These skills can feel abstract, but parents can make them practical and fun through cooking.
Family habit: Cooking and Baking
Involve your child in the kitchen by giving them the responsibility and freedom to cook one family meal a week. Cooking requires precise measurements and teaches children about fractions (e.g., 1/2 cup, 1/4 teaspoon) and ratios. Ask them to double or halve a recipe, which involves multiplication and division. This hands-on experience makes math fun and delicious, and builds their confidence at the same time.
16+ years old
Teenagers are preparing for independence, including managing personal finances and making informed decisions. They need to understand concepts like interest rates, loans, budgeting, and financial planning.
Daily Habit: Monthly Budget Planning
Sit down with your teenager at the beginning of each month to create a budget. Discuss their income (allowance, part-time job earnings) and expenses (school supplies, entertainment, savings). Use a spreadsheet or budgeting app to track their spending and adjust as needed. This practice teaches them about financial planning, responsibility, and the importance of saving, with the exciting payoff of being able to self-fund their adventures with friends!
Integrating math into your family’s daily routines can help children develop strong numeracy skills and build confidence in their abilities to handle real-life situations involving money and math. Additionally, by discussing numbers and financial concepts with your children throughout their upbringing, you might find your own math skills improving as well. It’s a win-win for the whole family!
BeWorks, Vice President Strategy, PhD
Jennifer holds a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from the University of Toronto, where she used neuroimaging and machine-learning tools to study how environmental distraction affects cognition across the lifespan. Her deep understanding of the unconscious effects of the environment on people's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors enables her to assist our clients to optimize physical and digital designs that yield meaningful human experiences while driving business objectives. In her spare time, Jennifer is passionate about early childhood education and serves as the S.T.E.M. expert at a multinational toy company, supporting parents in developing their young child’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
