Maths Talk at Home - Simple Conversations That Build Number Sense

Many parents feel anxious about helping with mathematics, especially if they struggled with it themselves. But here’s the secret: the most powerful mathematical support you can provide has nothing to do with worksheets or formal teaching. It’s about incorporating mathematical thinking into everyday conversations.

When you talk about numbers, patterns, and relationships during daily activities, you build your child’s “number sense”—the intuitive understanding of quantities, operations, and mathematical relationships that forms the foundation for all future maths learning.

What Is Mathematical Talk?

Mathematical talk means weaving numbers and mathematical thinking into natural conversations:

Not mathematical talk:

• Drilling facts: “What’s 7 + 8?”
• Testing knowledge: “Do you know what this shape is?”
• Correcting answers: “No, that’s wrong. It’s 15.”

Mathematical talk:

• Wondering aloud: “I wonder which box holds more?”
• Noticing patterns: “Look—every car has 4 wheels!”
• Thinking together: “How could we figure out if we have enough cookies?”
• Exploring ideas: “What would happen if we cut this in half?”

The difference? One creates pressure and anxiety. The other creates curiosity and confidence.

Why Everyday Maths Talk Works

Research shows:

• Children who engage in rich mathematical conversations at home enter school with stronger number sense
• Quality of mathematical talk predicts later achievement better than direct instruction
• Mathematical language exposure matters as much as literacy language exposure
• Playful mathematical interactions build positive attitudes and reduce maths anxiety

The good news: You don’t need to be a mathematician. You just need to notice opportunities and ask questions.

The Five Types of Maths Talk

1. Counting Talk

Counting isn’t just reciting “1, 2, 3…” It’s about understanding quantity, order, and one-to-one correspondence.

Simple opportunities:

• “Let’s count the stairs as we climb them”
• “How many strawberries are on your plate?”
• “Can you count how many steps to the car?”

Next level:

• Count by 2s: “Let’s count your socks—2, 4, 6, 8…”
• Count backwards: “10 minutes until bedtime… 9… 8…”
• Skip count: “Count by 5s to see how many fingers we all have”

Power questions:

• “What comes after 29?”
• “If we have 12 cookies and eat 1, how many are left?”
• “Which number is bigger—17 or 23? How do you know?“

2. Comparison Talk

Understanding more/less, bigger/smaller, and relative quantities builds mathematical reasoning.

At meal times:

• “Who has more peas? How do you know?”
• “Is your glass fuller than mine?”
• “Which apple is bigger?”

While shopping:

• “Which line is shorter?”
• “Which package is heavier?”
• “Is this on sale? Is that a better deal?”

At play:

• “Did your tower get taller?”
• “Who jumped further?”
• “Which puzzle has more pieces?”

Power questions:

• “How can we find out which is more?”
• “How much more do you have?”
• “What could we do to make them equal?“

3. Pattern Talk

Recognizing and creating patterns develops algebraic thinking and prediction skills.

Looking for patterns:

• “Your shirt has a pattern—stripes go blue, white, blue, white. What comes next?”
• “The fence goes post, board, board, post, board, board…”
• “Listen to the rhythm in this song”

Creating patterns:

• “Can you make a pattern with your toys?”
• “Let’s create a clapping pattern—clap, snap, clap, snap”
• “Arrange your crackers in a pattern”

Power questions:

• “What comes next in this pattern?”
• “What do you notice about this pattern?”
• “Can you make up a different pattern?“

4. Shape and Space Talk

Geometric thinking develops through noticing and describing shapes, positions, and spatial relationships.

Noticing shapes:

• “The pizza is a circle!”
• “Your window is a rectangle”
• “Look at that triangular roof”

Describing position:

• “The cat is under the table”
• “Put your shoes beside the door”
• “Turn left at the corner”

Exploring properties:

• “How many sides does this have?”
• “What shapes can you see in the playground?”
• “This ball is round—it rolls. This block has corners—it doesn’t roll”

Power questions:

• “How are a square and rectangle the same? Different?”
• “What shapes did you use to build that?”
• “Can you find something in the room shaped like a cylinder?“

5. Problem-Solving Talk

Real-world problems provide authentic mathematical thinking opportunities.

Cooking:

• “We need 2 cups of flour but only have a 1-cup measure. What should we do?”
• “The recipe serves 4 but there are 6 of us. How can we adjust it?”
• “Is 15 minutes enough time for cookies to cool?”

Travel:

• “We’re leaving at 3:00 and it takes 30 minutes to get there. When will we arrive?”
• “We’ve driven 20 kilometers. How much further to 50?”
• “If we see 3 red cars and 7 blue cars, how many cars did we see?”

Money:

• “This costs $5. If I give$10, how much change?”
• “You have $2. Is that enough to buy this?”
• “How much would 3 of these cost?”

Power questions:

• “What information do we need?”
• “How could we figure this out?”
• “Does your answer make sense?”

Age-Appropriate Maths Talk

Ages 3-5 (Foundation)

Focus: Counting, comparing, basic shapes Activities:

• Count everything (toys, steps, foods)
• Compare sizes: bigger/smaller, more/less
• Name shapes in the environment
• Simple patterns (clapping, colors)
• Sort objects (by color, size, type)

Language:

• More, less, same
• Big, small, tall, short
• Circle, square, triangle
• First, last, middle
• Before, after, next

Ages 6-8 (Years 1-2)

Focus: Addition/subtraction concepts, number relationships, measurement Activities:

• Mental math in context: “If you have 5 toys and get 3 more…”
• Time awareness: “What time is it? When will we…?”
• Money handling: Small purchases, counting change
• Measurement comparisons
• Simple fractions (halves, quarters)

Language:

• Add, plus, altogether
• Take away, subtract, left over
• Half, quarter
• Before, after, between
• Heavy, light, long, short

Ages 9-11 (Years 3-5)

Focus: Multiplication/division, fractions, problem-solving strategies Activities:

• Mental calculation strategies
• Fraction talk: sharing, cooking measurements
• Multiplication in context: “4 people each want 3 cookies…”
• Time calculations
• Budgeting and saving

Language:

• Times, multiply, groups of
• Divide, share, each
• Fraction, numerator, denominator
• Perimeter, area
• Estimate, approximately

Ages 12+ (Years 6-10)

Focus: Ratios, percentages, proportional reasoning Activities:

• Percentage calculations: sales, tips, discounts
• Ratio reasoning: recipes, mixing, scales
• Statistical thinking: sports scores, news data
• Financial planning and budgeting
• Time, distance, speed problems

Language:

• Ratio, proportion
• Percentage, percent
• Average, mean
• Probability, likely
• Increase, decrease

Everyday Situations = Mathematical Opportunities

In the Kitchen

• Measuring ingredients: “We need 3/4 cup. That’s less than 1 whole cup”
• Timing: “20 minutes in the oven. What time will it be done?”
• Dividing: “How can we share this between 4 people?”
• Fractions: “Let’s cut the sandwich into quarters”

In the Car

• Distance: “We’re halfway there!”
• Time: “5 more minutes”
• Counting: Traffic signs, colored cars
• Patterns: License plates with number patterns

At the Shop

• Money: “Which is cheaper?”
• Estimation: “About how much will this cost?”
• Quantity: “Do we need 1 carton or 2?”
• Unit pricing: “Which size is a better deal?”

At Bedtime

• Time: “30 minutes until bed”
• Counting backwards: “10, 9, 8…”
• Story problems: “If the 3 bears each had 2 chairs…”
• Patterns: Noting patterns in bedtime routine

During Play

• Building: Shapes, sizes, symmetry
• Games: Dice, scoring, turn-taking
• Sports: Measuring, counting, comparing
• Board games: Strategic thinking, planning

Creating a Mathematical Mindset at Home

Make mathematics positive:

• Show enthusiasm: “I love figuring out problems!”
• Value effort: “You thought hard about that!”
• Embrace mistakes: “Mistakes help us learn”
• Share your thinking: “Here’s how I figured it out…”

Make mathematics visible:

• Point out numbers: house numbers, prices, times
• Notice patterns: in nature, art, music
• Wonder aloud: “I wonder how many…”
• Count together: making it natural and fun

Make mathematics playful:

• Board games (dice, cards, counting)
• Puzzles and brain teasers
• Building and construction
• Cooking and measuring
• Sports and scoring

Make mathematics meaningful:

• Connect to interests: dinosaurs, sports, dolls
• Use real problems: party planning, budgeting
• Show applications: why we use math
• Value their thinking: “Tell me how you figured that out”

What NOT to Do

Avoid pressure:

• Don’t quiz constantly
• Don’t create timed tests at home
• Don’t show frustration with mistakes
• Don’t compare to siblings or peers

Avoid negative messages:

• “I was never good at maths either” (implies maths ability is fixed)
• “This should be easy” (creates shame when it’s hard)
• “Let me just tell you the answer” (removes thinking)
• “You’re wrong” without discussing the thinking

Avoid replacing thinking with procedures:

• Don’t just teach tricks and rules
• Don’t skip the “why”
• Don’t rush to algorithms
• Don’t make maths about memorization only

When Your Child Asks “Why Do I Need to Know This?”

Honest answers:

• “Mathematics helps us solve everyday problems”
• “It teaches us how to think logically”
• “Many jobs use mathematics—even ones you might not expect”
• “It helps us make sense of the world around us”

Then show them:

• Point out real applications
• Share how you use maths
• Connect to their interests
• Make it relevant to their life

The Bottom Line

You don’t need to be a maths teacher to support your child’s mathematical development. You just need to notice opportunities, ask questions, and show that mathematics is everywhere.

When you count steps, compare quantities, notice patterns, describe shapes, and solve real problems together, you’re building more than maths skills—you’re building mathematical confidence, curiosity, and competence.

The informal mathematical conversations you have at home are just as important as the formal instruction your child receives at school. Maybe more so. Because when maths happens naturally in daily life, children learn that mathematics isn’t just something you do at school—it’s a powerful way of making sense of the world.

Start today. Notice a number. Wonder aloud. Ask a question. That’s mathematical talk. And it matters more than you know.