Math and language are everywhere. Look around you right now: whether you realize it or not, you are making sense of your space by recognizing shapes and patterns, numbers and words: Door #112. EXIT. Half of the water in your bottle is left.

Developing a strong foundation for basic math and literature is essential for your little one’s cognitive development. It helps them understand what’s going on around them, and helps them make sense of their world.

“It’s all about clueing your child into the things that grown ups already know,” Rachel Duda, VP of Learning at Vivvi said. “We give them letter magnets in the kitchen so they can familiarize themselves with the characters of our language. We help them realize the red exit sign is where they will find the door to leave. All of this is to help your child develop an understanding of what’s going on around them.”

Don’t you feel so much more comfortable when you’re in a situation where you understand what’s going on? Your children do, too. Orienting themselves to a new space or new experience is easier when they are able to make sense of it.

We aren’t going overboard here – you don’t have to teach your three-year-old algebra or crack open War & Peace. Infusing math and literacy into your daily routine can actually be a quite easy, natural process.

How to infuse math into your daily routines:

In your house, count….

• How many doors
• How many windows
• How many stairs

On your walk, count….

• How many steps to get from one tree to the next
• How many windows they see on a building
• How many red cars, blue cars, etc. you see

Setting the table…

• Count how many people are eating
• Count out the right number of forks / spoons / cups
• “We have three plates out now, how many more do we need?

Shapes and patterns…

• Point out shapes and patterns in their environment: “That door is a rectangle.”
• “This floor tile goes dark, light, dark, light. That’s a pattern!”
• Notice the difference in shirts of people around you. “That one has stripes, that one is plain, that one has plaid

How to infuse literacy into your daily routines:

At home…

• Label parts of your home: door, window, ect.
• Use magnetic letters on your fridge or dishwasher
• Keep books in every room of your house, so as you’re doing chores or cooking dinner, your child can pick up a book and browse – including books about math and numbers!
• Keep a visual schedule for routines
• Keep crayons and paper easily available for children

Out loud…

• During dinner, take turns telling stories.
• Practice nursery school rhymes together.
• Sing! There’s a Daniel Tiger song for everything and singing helps children understand rhyme, patterns and language.

In the car…

• Point out road signs signs when driving or walking.
• Play audio stories and books for your child to listen to.
• Keep books available in the car.