|
I think these two look very similar and sometimes don’t remember which is which, but Janelle has no issue telling them apart. I asked her, “How can you tell the difference between Muffin and Socks?”
She responded immediately with three ways: “Muffin walks on two legs but Socks walks on four. Muffin is bigger and Socks is smaller. And Muffin is gray and white, but Socks is blue and brown.”
Wow! She had noticed quite a few things about these characters, and was distinguishing them by naming multiple attributes.
Why Noticing and Naming Attributes Matters
Before our kids ever count or compare, they’re busy exploring the qualities of the world around them—how things look, feel, sound, taste, or move. This is foundational for math, even if it doesn’t feel like “math” yet.
The ability to recognize and name attributes is the starting point for sorting, classifying, and eventually understanding more abstract ideas like patterns and quantities. When we describe objects with words like soft, heavy, round, red, sweet, we help children start building mental categories. Think of attributes as the first ingredients of math thinking.
From Sensory to Mental Images
Infants start by recognizing us as their caregivers through a “bundle of attributes” —the sound of our voice, the fuzzy features they can barely see, the movement of our body, and even our smell. As toddlers gain more mobility and language, they collect data through their senses and begin forming mental pictures. By around age 2, symbolic thought and memories become possible—this is how Janelle can remember and name what distinguishes Muffin from Socks. This is also when kids can start using reasoning, not just trial and error, to fit puzzle pieces or describe reasons why this specific stuffy is their favorite.
Try This Toddler Learning Activity: Growing Math Talk Through Attributes
Try these small ideas as you go about your week with your toddler or preschooler:
- Ask open-ended questions:
- “What do you like about that one?”
- “How do you know it’s different?”
- Describe actions that highlight attributes:
- “You lined up all the blue ones first!”
- Let your child group things their way—then talk about how they did it.
- “How did you decide to put these together?”
- Read a touch-and-feel book together:
- Talk about the sensory attributes: fuzzy, bumpy, rough, tickly
 |
|
The "5 Same But Different Prompts for Toddlers" resource is a great starting point to easily spark conversations with your child as you move throughout your day!
Keep your eyes open this week for when your child groups, chooses, or comments on anything based on an attribute. These are tiny math moments in action, and they add up.
These prompts are great learning activities for 2 year olds, 3 year olds, and preschoolers!
To get more ideas like these in your inbox weekly, subscribe to the free Roots and Wings Math Newsletter here.
Ready to dive into deeper learning about how to build strong math foundations with your toddler? Check out the parent mini-course Math Building Blocks for Toddlers.
|
|
|
