The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has long given new parents a simple prescription for literacy: read aloud to your children to help them learn language and literacy skills. And, through programs like Reach Out and Read, participating families receive free books when they come in for regular check-ups. These efforts reach millions of children each year regardless of income.
Math has never gotten the same treatment, but a group of governors is encouraging the AAP to make numeracy skills equivalent to literacy. They recently sent a letter asking the AAP to do for numeracy what’s long been done for reading and issue formal guidance encouraging parents to spend regular time each week playing number-based games with their children.
The rationale is straightforward. Researchers have found that children’s math skills when they enter school are a strong predictor of their later academic success. In fact, one landmark study found that early math skills were even more predictive of later achievement than early reading skills.
What can parents do? Studies have found that simple board games—the kind involving counting spaces, comparing quantities, or moving a token along a track—can produce measurable and lasting improvements in preschoolers’ number sense. Much of the benefit appears to come from the conversations parents naturally have with their children while they play.
To be clear, the governors are not calling for parents to become math teachers or drill their kids on flash cards. Teaching math is still the school’s job. But the games many families already play and own, like Uno, Chutes and Ladders, or a deck of cards for a simple game of War, can quietly support children’s numeracy skills. This is a cheap, wholesome intervention, with no set curriculum, no screen, and no training required.
This proposal also reflects how researchers increasingly think about early math development. Just as children begin building the foundations for reading long before they enter kindergarten, they also develop an intuitive understanding of numbers, quantity, and patterns during the preschool years. Helping parents nurture those skills at home gives children a stronger foundation before formal math instruction even begins.
Another opportunity here is the potential distribution channel. Pediatricians already have trusted relationships with families and have successfully used those visits to encourage parents to read with their children. If the AAP embraced early numeracy in the same way, it could create the first truly national campaign around early math development. Having the AAP put their voice behind this effort would help more parents understand that simple games and conversations can help prepare their children to be successful for school, and for life.
Chad Aldeman is a nationally recognized expert on education policy, including school finance; teacher preparation, evaluation, and compensation; and state standards, assessment, and accountability.
Why Pediatricians Should Prescribe Math Games
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has long given new parents a simple prescription for literacy: read aloud to your children to help them learn language and literacy skills. And, through programs like Reach Out and Read, participating families receive free books when they come in for regular check-ups. These efforts reach millions of children each year regardless of income.
Math has never gotten the same treatment, but a group of governors is encouraging the AAP to make numeracy skills equivalent to literacy. They recently sent a letter asking the AAP to do for numeracy what’s long been done for reading and issue formal guidance encouraging parents to spend regular time each week playing number-based games with their children.
The rationale is straightforward. Researchers have found that children’s math skills when they enter school are a strong predictor of their later academic success. In fact, one landmark study found that early math skills were even more predictive of later achievement than early reading skills.
What can parents do? Studies have found that simple board games—the kind involving counting spaces, comparing quantities, or moving a token along a track—can produce measurable and lasting improvements in preschoolers’ number sense. Much of the benefit appears to come from the conversations parents naturally have with their children while they play.
To be clear, the governors are not calling for parents to become math teachers or drill their kids on flash cards. Teaching math is still the school’s job. But the games many families already play and own, like Uno, Chutes and Ladders, or a deck of cards for a simple game of War, can quietly support children’s numeracy skills. This is a cheap, wholesome intervention, with no set curriculum, no screen, and no training required.
This proposal also reflects how researchers increasingly think about early math development. Just as children begin building the foundations for reading long before they enter kindergarten, they also develop an intuitive understanding of numbers, quantity, and patterns during the preschool years. Helping parents nurture those skills at home gives children a stronger foundation before formal math instruction even begins.
Another opportunity here is the potential distribution channel. Pediatricians already have trusted relationships with families and have successfully used those visits to encourage parents to read with their children. If the AAP embraced early numeracy in the same way, it could create the first truly national campaign around early math development. Having the AAP put their voice behind this effort would help more parents understand that simple games and conversations can help prepare their children to be successful for school, and for life.
Chad Aldeman
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