'One two, buckle my shoe' isn't just a simple rhyme, but instead may be an important tool for your child's future success with math.

Juliet Pearman, Reading Clinic math co-ordinator said the key to preparing your toddler for future maths is to make numbers a part of their every day life.

"It has been found that from the time a child learns to speak they show interest in numbers and their properties," said Ms Pearman.

"Two-year-olds may repeat number sequences 'one, two, three', although they don't have an understanding of what that means at this time," she said.

She said parents could help their children develop mathematically, without implementing a high-pressured, structured programme.

"You need to bring information about numbers into conversations with children," said Ms Pearman. "Talk about birthdays, age and make references to height or weight.

"Sing rhymes with numbers in them, like 'one, two, buckle my shoe'.

"Talk about things being too heavy or too light. Talk about shapes. Expose children to vocabulary related to shapes and forms as you describe objects. 'That is a round clock, or a square book'."

She said parents could help their child develop math skills any time of the day, by using every day objects around the house. The kitchen, she said, was a particularly good place to demonstrate math skills.

"When you are cooking dinner, show your child what one cup is," Ms Pearman suggested. "Kids can have great fun measuring out flour. Talk about how long the cookies have to bake and the temperature needed to cook them."

And even those goldfish crackers can have a purpose, other than ruining a child's dinner.

"Explain to your child that you're going to tell him a story while he eats, but he has to be patient and only eat when the story tells him to," added Ms Pearman. "Sometimes this can be hard, so make sure your little one isn't starving when you start.

"Pour a small pile of goldfish crackers into a bowl for your child and weave a tale about a little tuna fish who roamed the seas with lots of huge fish. He wanted to be bigger so he ate three goldfish. This is the cue for the child to eat three crackers, and so on..."

Ms Pearman has extensive expertise in early childhood education, and worked as a teacher for 11 years at the Bermuda Institute. She also worked at the Child Development Project for several years.

The Child Development Project is a Government department monitoring the development of children on the Island and screens all two-year-olds for possible learning problems.

Ms Pearman has a bachelor's degree in child development from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and a master's degree in education from Wheelock College.

"I have a passion for helping children develop and learn in all areas," said Ms Pearman. "This position allows me to focus in on math."