Preschool Math Concepts to Know

What should I be teaching my preschooler about math? Is counting important? My 3-year-old son can already count to 50. What about teaching him to write numbers? - Mathematically Inclined
Answer: While it is definitely a good idea to expose preschoolers to counting and even writing numbers, it's more important to make sure they understand four basic concepts of math. You don't want to directly teach these concepts to them, but instead help them discover the concepts through fun-filled activities.
The first concept is one-to-one matching of objects - that is, knowing that there is a saucer for every cup. You can make it easy for your child to learn this concept by reading books like "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," and pointing out that each bear had its own bowl, chair and bed. Playing very simple lotto games also reinforces this concept.
Classifying objects is the second basic math concept. Your child will be able to acquire this skill through sorting activities, such as separating coins into piles of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, and dividing the laundry into stacks for every family member.
The comparison of objects is another basic math concept. Your son shows that he understands this concept when he uses words like "longer," "smaller" or "thicker." You can help him learn more about size comparison by asking him to pick out the larger or smaller of two carrots, pumpkins or any other pair of objects.
The last concept involves putting objects in size order. This will lead him to understand that numbers can be ordered (1, 2, 3, ...) and prepare him to do meaningful counting. When your son is stacking small boxes into larger boxes, he is learning this concept. You can also break spaghetti into three or four unevenly sized pieces so he can arrange them from smallest to largest.