Content of Early Numeracy in the Malaysian Preschools

Malaysian curriculum has seen a dramatic increase in attention to the numeracy ability among primary school students. Through LINUS (Literacy and Numeracy Screening) program, curriculum aims that every Malaysian students should acquire basic numeracy skills at the end of 3 years of primary education. In line with global concern that numeracy are basic skills needed to prepare students for the next level of education. But, literatures prove that numeracy skills among primary school students depends on the early numeracy skills that carried from their preschool life. Therefore, the contents of early numeracy skills grasped during preschool should be taken seriously in order to make sure development of numeracy skills among children well constructed. This concept paper will discuss the contents of early numeracy for the preschool children aged five to six years in Malaysia. The early numeracy content from several international bodies and researchers will be discussed too. Knowledge of the content involved in the formation of early numeracy will help educators and parents plan and apply appropriate, challenging mathematics activities that will intentionally build numeracy skills in children.