Early Maths/Science courses for kids
Early math/science covers a range of cognitive skills that are helpful to prepare a child aged 0-5 years for their entry to school. For example, early maths covers an introduction to number concepts, comparing differences, shape identification, object sorting, recognizing quantities and at the slightly more advanced level, understanding ordinal positions and number sequence. Early science refers to an introduction to the five senses, parts of the body, physical forces, the difference between living and non-living things, the animal kingdom, understanding early concepts of weather and time, and an exploration generally of the natural environment.
Not only do early maths/science activities help school preparedness but they also help boost memory, cognition and creativity by boosting the ability to remember patterns and build short-term memory skills. They also help a child develop visualization skills which lead to better organizational and decision-making abilities in later years.
Concepts of early maths and science can be taught in really fun hands-on ways such as parent/child cooking classes, inquiry-based science experiments, playing with lego, nature walks, and simple board games. It doesn’t have to refer to courses in a traditional classroom setting. However, often such games and exercises are incorporated into primary interview preparation and school readiness classes since they are also often present in school interviews. Early math/science activities when conducted in a group setting have an additional socialization benefit and demonstrating a certain level of independence and social skills are also an important factor in school readiness.
The benefits of early maths/science for children include
- enhancing cognitive development
- improving communication and social skills
- increasing engagement levels and confidence
- promoting emotional development and feeling identification
- developing fine and gross motor skills
- improving adaptability and resiliency when making the transition to school