It is just as natural for young children to think mathematically about their world as it is for them to use language. They develop mathematical knowledge as they manipulate objects and reason about and represent quantities using number words, objects and, eventually, written numerals. For example, they can learn to use number words to count objects, compare set sizes, use everyday items like paper clips to measure objects, manipulate shapes to create new shapes (e.g., tangrams), and combine objects to complete simple addition problems.
