A survey into parents' attitudes to maths, conducted by National Numeracy with Hachette Children's Group, found that parents were 30% less likely to do maths activities with their children than reading or language activities. Fostering positive attitudes to maths through play and doing everyday activities involving numbers are a key part of children's early numeracy developing, and keeping parents & families engaged has a positive effect on their learning.
“Stories play a critical role in helping children make sense of the world around them. One Thing takes this to a new level in embedding mathematical understanding and language," says National Numeracy Trustee Di Hatchett. "The book makes a huge contribution to supporting the development of positive attitudes to maths and helping parents to use day to day activities and talk to help their children explore mathematical concepts.”
Although admittedly not the biggest fan of the subject at school, Lauren Child revealed that through her illustration work she's grown to appreciate maths, calling it "a kind of magic". “I’ve realised maths, numbers and numeracy come in all different packages," she explained. "There’s maths in art, in music and in patterns and once you realise that, it so easy.”
National Numeracy recognises the importance of engaging children with maths and numbers through play, helping them develop positive attitudes to learning. The Family Maths Toolkit is full of resources for parents to introduce their children to everyday maths, including ideas for incorporating maths into activities at home and beyond.
