Mathematics, geometry and children
A few hundred years ago, we did not even imagine the full capabilities of newborns. Besides the obvious reflections, how can we tell what is going through their heads?
When they have not yet developed the ability to express themselves with language, babies use sight to explore the world around them. During their development, they assimilate certain universal knowledge based on their daily observations and experiments.
A baby cries when his mother leaves his field of vision. When he understands that just because he doesn’t see her doesn’t mean he won’t come back, his anguish disappears.
We know all this thanks to the numerous studies carried out on cognitive development in childhood.
When it comes to math, babies’ ability to understand their surroundings is mind-boggling . According to different studies carried out at Harvard University or the Institute of Brain Sciences at Duke University, it is confirmed that, after 6 months:
- Babies are able to visually understand quantities.
- Babies can tell the difference between two representations of numbers.
- Babies who pay more attention to numbers from a young age have an easier time learning math later.
During the first two years of life, they sharpen their perception of numbers and quantities. With language learning, they begin to associate words with mathematical notions that they began to visually perceive much earlier.
This shows the importance of stimulating this perception of children and accompanying them in their development. Hallam Hurt, a pediatric neonatologist in Philadelphia, discovered in 1980 that children who were encouraged and supported from an early age developed higher IQs.
For all this, it is necessary that the little ones in the house begin to discover figures and geometric figures as soon as possible to promote their cognitive development. Mathematics, geometry and children