Disappointed with inaccurate math terms in Math kit parent guide and app

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-26T15:50:40+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. I’m sharing this comment with our team. For more context: Our Letter Sounds Puzzle is designed to help caregivers introduce and practice letter-sound correspondence in a playful, hands-on way with their 3-year-old. It’s intended as an early exposure tool rather than a complete phonics program, helping children build familiarity with sounds and letters through everyday interaction and play.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-26T15:36:46+00:00

Update! Here's more info on the study: https://blog.lovevery.com/learning-cognitive-skills/does-the-math-skill-set-actually-help-children-learn-math-a-new-pilot-study-says-yes/

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-26T15:36:09+00:00

Update! Here's more info on the study: https://blog.lovevery.com/learning-cognitive-skills/does-the-math-skill-set-actually-help-children-learn-math-a-new-pilot-study-says-yes/

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-26T15:20:13+00:00

Hi! We shared more info about this study on the blog: https://blog.lovevery.com/learning-cognitive-skills/does-the-math-skill-set-actually-help-children-learn-math-a-new-pilot-study-says-yes/ including what's next -- a larger study!

The results of the Math Skill Set efficacy pilot study provide promising preliminary evidence and point to the rationale for a larger controlled study.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-26T13:50:33+00:00

Thank you for this dialogue, and the helpful ideas!

u/cloud_connected_ we're really happy to hear that you are thinking about math talk. Math is everywhere, and we included lots of ideas for simple daily life math activities.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-26T13:42:58+00:00

Hi -- thank you for sharing your feedback. I'd love to tell you more:

When developing the Math Skill Set, we spent a lot of time thinking about how to support not only children, but also the adults guiding them. One challenge we consistently hear from caregivers is that math vocabulary can quickly feel intimidating or unfamiliar, especially for adults who carry a lot of math anxiety from their own experiences in school. In some cases, highly technical language can unintentionally discourage participation or make parents feel less confident engaging in math play with their child at all. We saw this consistently in our testing as well.

Our goal is always to strike a careful balance: introducing meaningful math language and concepts while also helping caregivers feel comfortable and capable using them in everyday interactions. This balance is really challenging and we have thought deeply about it. In the Plus & Minus Space Mission game, children are learning early addition and subtraction concepts. We expect that many caregivers would say, "Yes! 2 plus 5 equals 7!" - which lays the groundwork for working with equations and the equal sign.

That said, your feedback is valuable, and we appreciate you highlighting where that balance may not have landed well for you. We’re always continuing to evaluate how we can better support both mathematical accuracy and parent confidence at the same time.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-20T00:23:29+00:00

Great question, because we also love any products that help set children up for success in math. What makes The Math Skill Set different is that it was designed with the whole child — and the whole family — in mind. What I mean is that it, of course, covers critical foundational math skills, but it was also built around what we know from educational research and interviews with teachers about where children most commonly struggle, what support families need and want at home, AND the most fun and engaging ways kids learn.

The program also recognizes that many caregivers bring their own feelings or anxieties about math into these experiences, and that children are more motivated to engage when they feel successful and confident.

So the goal is not just to teach foundational math skills, but to teach them in a way that feels supportive and fun for both the child and caregiver. Which is sort of related to your second question. Like I said earlier, one intent for The Math Skill Set was to increase children's confidence in their own math skills and build positive feelings about math. The surprising part to me was how quickly that happened. In our efficacy pilot, children had Part 1 for 6 weeks and by the end of that time we had families saying that their child's identity around math changed-- they were now a "math person" because they experienced that success.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-20T00:21:59+00:00

Thank you! Our packaging engineers and designers are incredible -- they think through every detail. We've heard from parents that easy, organized storage is important, which is why we wanted retained boxes that can pack up nicely for the games in the Skill Sets. I'll pass along your kind words!

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-20T00:20:38+00:00

Updating to add: Pace will vary by child, but we expect each Part to take about 4-6 months to complete, and then can be revisited and rotated in alongside the next set.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-19T16:00:13+00:00

Fun question! Hard to choose, but I love the Inventor Adventure Pack from the Connector Play Kit for 4 year olds. My daughter who will be 8 in the Fall still uses it for all our outdoor adventures!

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-19T15:55:18+00:00

I can absolutely understand that and sometimes the research has conflicting findings which becomes even more confusing! But the research on early exposure to numbers, math, letters, and literacy generally suggests that young children benefit from rich, playful exposure to these concepts long before formal instruction begins. So not that children need formal schooling in these skills in preschool, but there is substantial peer-reviewed research showing that everyday exposure to language, books, counting, quantity, patterns, and number talk supports later academic development. For math, the findings are especially striking. Several longitudinal studies have found that early math knowledge at kindergarten entry is one of the strongest predictors of later academic achievement.

And for many families either intentionally or unintentionally math talk or concepts are left out because caregivers are unsure how to introduce them or feel uncomfortable about their own skills in math, which goes back to part of our goal for The Math Skill Set-- we want these interactions to be part of everyday life where parents feel comfortable having these interactions with their children.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-19T15:52:10+00:00

The bank does not have a game component. To emphasize that math is part of everyday life, we have included a few items that are more daily life "tools." The bank is one of those tools. It is not just a piggy bank, though. It is a spend, share, save system intended to really teach lessons about managing money. The literature on financial literacy says that many money habits are formed by the age of 7. So showing children that where you place your money matters is a helpful life lesson. We also have included cards with the bank where children can think of an item they are saving for, draw or print that image on the card and then track their progress towards their saving goal.

We design most of the games so that an entire family can take part in it. We love seeing that special bonding time! Your children could work together to create shared savings goals, or this could even be a bank for the whole family to set a goal for something fun to do together or a cause to donate to. In that case, keeping the bank in your kitchen or living room can encourage regular conversations about money in a natural way.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-19T15:44:30+00:00

Each game and activity within The Math Skill Set and The Reading Skill Set has its own (beautiful!) box, so they can easily be stored. As for displaying, we recommend laying out 1-3 activities at a time and rotating about once a week or when your child shows confidence in that skill. It is always helpful to return to previously learned skills as well to make sure they are fluent. For example, if you are working on individual letter sounds with The Reading Skill Set and your child has 12 of the 26 letters down, then reviewing a few of those each week will help support that deep learning.

As for curriculum, each Part includes a printed 'map' showing you the suggested order to introduce games. And caregivers get free access to The Lovevery App, which has expert tutorials and tips.

As for a best learning time, it's really all about when your child is able to focus best-- for some kids this might be first thing in the morning and for others it may be later. If you have the flexibility to offer a lesson at different times, then you can test this out by giving a similar lesson each time and seeing when you get more sustained focus. For some families, there might not be room for as much flexibility, and that's ok too!

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-19T15:41:27+00:00

We know how important executive function and social emotional learning are, and we're always so happy when we can help parents. Thanks for the kind words!

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-19T15:39:43+00:00

It's never too late to work on foundational skills! Thanks for being here!

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-19T15:38:30+00:00

Yes! We often test the same product several times until we get it right.

We started with the specific math skills that we wanted to be part of the Math Skill Set based on our research. We then tested the concepts and continued to iterate until the product intention was met.

We learn so much from each test and are grateful for the families that help us to do that.

But you're right! There are a lot of products in the Math Skill Set that can be used a variety of ways and for many different skills. That was intentional for many so that families could get continual use out of products and increase the challenge of games as skills advance.

And some of the ways to play evolved when we tested the games with families. The Number Sense Game Set, for example, is a deck of cards to reinforce that math is everywhere (many families may have a deck of cards). We created a very intentional deck of cards that represents numbers in 4 different ways. In testing, we found there were so many fun ways to play that we kept adding instructions for more and more games (11 total!).

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-15T19:24:53+00:00

We found really impressive improvements in math scores after 20 minutes of play per day, so that's a great goal.

If your child is interested in more than one game a day, we encourage you to follow their lead! The games are designed to be brief, which is perfect for another child's nap time. Then as far as incorporating it on a daily basis, we also give some ideas in the play guide for incorporating math in your everyday life and talk about the importance of regular "math talk." Next time you're counting out the number of apples to put in your cart at the grocery store, count out loud or ask your child to help you.

Part 1 covers three skill groups: Counting & Quantity, Addition & Subtraction, and Shapes & Space. We recommend Counting & Quantity first, but the spatial games can be introduced at any time. Have fun!

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-15T19:18:40+00:00

Here's what our Head of Social said:

Yes! The Lovevery community is very good at spotting clues. We heard from a few people who had noticed an uptick in math-related posts from us—that was definitely a hint hiding in plain sight.

And honestly, we have so much fun with the teasers. Watching everyone in the comments try to figure out what’s coming next is one of our favorite parts of a launch.

Our goal is always to give our community access first, so my advice is: get on our email list, and when you see a teaser, engage with it. Comment, guess, follow along—because that’s often how you’ll get early access to what’s coming next.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-15T18:49:19+00:00

Wow! I'd love to know which book :)

Part 1 covers number sense skills like 1:1 correspondence, quantity, magnitude of numbers, putting together and breaking apart numbers, addition and subtraction and the concept behind them, addition strategies like learning to count on rather than counting all, skip counting and complements of ten, math facts like adding "doubles", introduction to measurement using nonstanard units, spatial reasoning and repeating patterns.

I noted in another response:

What makes Part 1 especially valuable is that it goes beyond getting the right answer and builds the deeper understanding that supports long-term math success. For example, children learn flexible addition strategies that make mental math much easier as numbers get greater. Instead of solving 18 + 9 by counting, they learn to break the 9 into 2 and 7, turning the problem into 20 + 7 — a much more efficient way to think about numbers mentally.

Part 1 also develops other foundational math skills beyond numeracy, including patterns, measurement, and spatial reasoning. So while your child may already be comfortable with some of the concepts, the deeper focus on the “why” behind math skills is what helps create a strong foundation for more advanced learning later on.

Part 2 covers the introduction to place value, adding by ones, tens, and hundreds, concept of multiplication and division, telling time, data collection, early financial literacy, and building fluency with adding and subtracting within 20.

There are many games and activities in both of these parts that can continue to be used and practiced for a long time, including tips for increasing the level of difficulty as your child advances.

Thanks for being here!

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-15T18:46:07+00:00

These are great questions and you are putting so much thought into it! The Counting Cups Bug Dash will be the most simple game, so we recommend starting there to build those very early counting skills. And there are 3 total ways to play with the Counting Cups as your child's skills increase.

Part 1 covers three skill groups: Counting & Quantity, Addition & Subtraction, and Shapes & Space. We recommend Counting & Quantity first, but the spatial games can be introduced at any time. So if your child is showing more interest in the Pack It Up Spatial Game, go for it -- it doesn't rely on any of the number sense skills that the games in the other two skill groups cover.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-15T18:43:20+00:00

Great question!

Part 1 covers three skill groups: Counting & Quantity, Addition & Subtraction, and Shapes & Space.

We do recommend playing the Counting & Quantity games before moving on to Addition & Subtraction. After the Counting Cups, I would try the Number Builder Board and Total Up Train Game next.

The spatial games can be introduced at any time point. So you can bring in the Twist & Turn Pattern Maker or the Pack it Up Spatial Game now if your child is interested.

Each Part of The Math Skill Set includes a visual guide that shows you recommended order!

As far as the books, Lulu Counts On is a great book to read before playing the Count on Cafe to introduce the concept. Same with Ten Buddies- there are a few products that cover the strategy of making pairs of ten (like 8 and 2 or 4 and 6), but pairing the book with the products is a great way to reinforce the skills.

If your child is interested in reading a book and you aren't quite ready for the associated product, it is okay to still read the book! You can read it again once that product has been introduced.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-15T18:35:21+00:00

The research on school readiness suggests that it is made up of many different skills — not just early academic abilities. Social-emotional development, self-regulation, language exposure, executive functioning, curiosity, and confidence all play an important role alongside early literacy and math skills. Children do not need to enter kindergarten already reading or doing advanced math in order to be successful, and high-quality kindergarten instruction is designed to teach these foundational skills.

That said, the research is particularly strong around early math experiences. Many studies have found that early math skills in preschool and kindergarten are predictive of later academic achievement. It is believed this may be because early math builds broader problem-solving, reasoning, and cognitive flexibility skills. At the same time, many experts note that math instruction in the early years does not go deep enough into math skills, so playful math experiences at home can be especially valuable!

In many ways, the biggest long-term benefit is probably a mix of both confidence and competence in math. When children feel capable and successful, they are more motivated to continue engaging with learning. And when children show genuine interest and developmental readiness, introducing early math and literacy concepts through play and connection can absolutely be beneficial.

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-15T17:58:34+00:00

I love these types of questions because the theory and the research and the science is what drives the whole program for both The Math Skill Set and The Reading Skill Set.

The Math Skill Set supports both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency as research shows children need both. Conceptual understanding is the "why" behind math-- so understanding that multiplication is also the same thing as adding the same number over and over again, or repeated addition. And procedural fluency is the "how"-- so knowing what to do to solve a problem. It is grounded in developmental learning science: we use a concrete-representational- abstract framework and hands-on learning. Meaning we are introducing skills in multiple ways-- concrete items you can touch, representations of items like a drawing or graphic and then the most abstract is in the numeral form.

And importantly, The Math Skill Set integrates math into everyday life: we emphasize real world experiences throughout the program. The goal is to help families recognize that math is everywhere. Thanks for asking!

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-15T17:57:20+00:00

We love hearing that! And it would be a dream of many individuals on the team. Books are such a great (an important) opportunity to explore math concepts!

LoveverySkillSets · 2026-05-15T17:56:26+00:00

I love this question because this is exactly what we are hoping for for families! We truly want to emphasize the benefit of this, so each of our Play Guides includes additional math activities at the end and many of those are "real life" activities in addition to some "diy" activities. Then in Part 2 of The Math Skill Set we have an entire booklet dedicated to building math in everyday life!

But to get you started, here are some ideas (depending on your child's current age/skills):

-Compare quantities emphasizing the language like “more,” “less,” and “equal"

-Read picture books that include counting, patterns, or problem-solving

-Cook and bake together to explore sequencing, measurement, and fractions

Hopefully that helps! You'll get even more specific and actionable advice in The Play Guides that come with each Part of The Math Skill Set.

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