During the preschool years, children display a natural inclination toward exploring mathematical concepts, including number and numerical operations.

Children begin to understand number and numerical operations as they experience activities and work with materials in the preschool classroom that encourage counting, ordering, and reading and writing numbers.

Children's understanding of many different number concepts is developed as they engage with these materials, exploring and solving problems posed by the teacher or on their own and with peers.

The ELS assesses this item across 3 strands. The next three pages will provide more detailed information about these strands.