Math talk with kids simply means chatting about numbers, amounts, shapes and patterns during ordinary moments like cooking, shopping and bedtime. Count real things, compare amounts and ask open questions such as "How did you figure that out?" Research links more number talk at home with stronger early number knowledge, though it can't prove cause.
Math talk is any conversation that uses math ideas. It can be as small as "You have two socks on" or as big as planning how many cookies to bake for a party. It includes:
Counting and naming amounts ("three ducks")
Comparing (more, fewer, longer, heavier)
Shapes and positions (circle, corner, behind, next to)
Patterns and order (what comes next, before and after)
Measuring, time and money
You don't need a lesson plan. The goal is to make numbers a normal part of the way your family talks.
Number talk at home varies a lot. In a study of 44 children published in Developmental Psychology, researchers recorded everyday family life when the children were 14 to 30 months old. Some parents used as few as 4 number words across more than 7.5 hours of recordings, while others used as many as 257. Children who heard more number talk better understood the meanings of number words at 46 months, even after accounting for socioeconomic status. The authors are careful to say the study is correlational, so it can't prove the talk caused the difference.
Most early number talk is counting and naming amounts. In the same study, the most common kind of parent number talk at 30 months was labeling how many were in a set, followed by counting.
Questions and explanations matter too. A What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) practice guide on teaching math to young children recommends helping children describe their world mathematically, using open-ended questions and talking about math in everyday situations. Its expert panel rated the evidence for that recommendation as minimal, but said it believes there is a positive relationship between math-related talk and children's math knowledge.
Number games count. In a study of low-income preschoolers, children's experience playing number board games at home was positively related to their number knowledge.
Open questions invite your child to explain. The WWC guide suggests questions that begin with "what," "why" or "how." A few to keep handy:
"How did you figure that out?"
"What did you do first? Then what?"
"Is there another way to do it?"
"How can we find out who has more?"
"How are these the same? How are they different?"
"What would happen if we added one more?"
"About how many do you think there are?"
When your child answers, try repeating their steps back: "Oh, first you counted the plates, then you added one for Grandma." The WWC guide suggests this as a way to keep the conversation going.
Count scoops, eggs and stirs out loud together.
Talk about halves: "Let's cut the sandwich in half. How many pieces now?"
Compare: "Which cup holds more, the tall one or the wide one? How could we check?"
Double a recipe: "We need 2 eggs. If we make twice as much, how many eggs?"
Set the table: "How many forks do we need for everyone?"
Count down the timer together for the last ten seconds.
Count items into the cart: "We need six apples. Can you count them?"
Compare sizes and prices: "Which box is bigger? Which one costs less?"
Estimate: "Do you think we have more than 10 things in the cart?"
Round prices with older kids: "This costs $1.89. Is that closer to $1 or $2?"
Pay with coins together. Solving word problems with dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies is a second grade Common Core standard. Our guide on how to teach kids to count money has more ideas.
In the car: spot house numbers, count red cars, or ask "Is the store closer or farther than the park?"
Getting dressed: socks come in pairs. How many socks are in three pairs?
Bath time: which cup holds more water? How many pours does it take to fill the big one?
On the stairs: count up and down, or count by twos for a challenge.
Bedtime: "Two books or three tonight? How many pages are left?"
Think out loud. The WWC guide suggests adults talk through their own problem solving so children hear how math words are used: "There were five blocks, and then I added three more blocks."
Name the total after counting. After "one, two, three," say "three ducks" so it's clear the last number tells how many.
Accept more than one answer. The WWC guide notes that many questions have several correct responses, so let your child share theirs.
Keep the mood light. A study of first and second graders found that when parents were more anxious about math, their children learned less math over the school year, but only when those parents reported helping with math homework often. If math makes you tense, stick to relaxed, playful talk like the ideas here.
Follow your child's lead. If they lose interest, drop it and try again another day.
This is just an example of how small moments can add up:
Breakfast: "You have 5 strawberries. If you eat 2, how many are left?"
Getting dressed: "Can you find two things that are the same color?"
At the store: "Grab four bananas. Which bunch has more?"
Dinner: "How many plates do we need if Grandma comes too?"
Bedtime: "How many stairs did we climb?"
For more low-key practice ideas, see our guide to math practice at home for kids.
Name small amounts and count real things: "Two shoes." "One, two, three blocks. Three blocks!" In the study above, most parent number talk at 30 months was labeling amounts and counting.
Open ones, such as "How do you know?", "Is there another way?" and "How can we find out?" They ask for thinking, not just an answer.
No. Counting, comparing and asking your child to explain need no special skill. "Let's figure it out together" works just fine.
There's no set amount. Try weaving it into routines you already have, so it happens naturally on most days.
Number Beasts: Bond Lab is a free iPhone and iPad puzzle game about making exactly 10, and because it is turn-based, you can talk through each shot together: which number would make 10 here? You launch a number at a beast and it pops when the total is exactly 10, while a short shot makes the beast grow so it needs a smaller number next time. It has no ads, no accounts and no in-app purchases, and it works offline.
Get Number Beasts free on the App Store