Thanks to Linda Sebec for sharing this with us!
We do a lot of math in our everyday life, but I thought it would be fun to compare whet we do to the Swedish national curriculum in math. My kids are under 8½ years old any younger
>The school in it's teaching of mathematics should aim to ensure that pupils
>– develop an interest in mathematics, as well as
>confidence in their own thinking and their own
>ability to learn and use mathematics in different situations,

We let them know what is math. Let them know that emptying the dishwasher and sort everything in
it's place is math, counting points when playing games are math, drawing circles are math and so on.

>– appreciate the important role mathematics
>plays in different cultures and activities, and
>become familiar with historical contexts, where
>important concepts and methods in mathematics are developed and used,

Tricky, I'm not sure we do this in our everyday life.

>– appreciate the value of and use mathematical forms of expression,

I from time to time say things like "in the language of math you call this..." in the same way as I can say "in English you call this...".

>– develop their ability to understand, carry out
>and use logical reasoning, draw conclusions and
>generalise, as well as orally and in writing
>explain and provide the arguments for their thinking,
>
>– develop their ability to formulate, represent
>and solve problems with the help of mathematics,
>as well as interpret, compare and evaluate
>solutions in relation to the original problem situation,
>
>– develop their ability to use simple
>mathematical models, as well as critically
>examine the assumptions, limitations and uses of these models,

There are plenty of problems to solve for young kids in our everyday life.
How should I do to reach?
How much sugar should it be in the cake?
Which way is the shortest to the store?
The smartest way to clean your room.
We try to put words into this kind of thinking. My 4 year old (very verbal you girl) often say "this IS a
problem" and the she comes up with a solution that she happily shares. A problem for her might
be that she needs to get up stairs but is to tired to go ;-)

>– develop their ability to make use of pocket calculators and computers.

We don't do this much in our every day life. Maybe we should.

>The aim should also be that pupils develop their
>numerical and spatial understanding, as well as
>their ability to understand and use:
>– basic numerical concepts and calculations with
>real numbers, approximate values, proportionality and percentages,
>– basic algebraic concepts, expressions,
>formulae, equations, and inequalities,'

counting the steps in the stair. Let them get money to pay in the store (how much do you thing you need?). Make sure the cookies are shared fair (often problem solving too as I tend to put out a
uneven number of cookies to make them think)

>– different methods, measuring systems and
>instruments to compare, estimate and determine
>the size of important orders of magnitude,

Cooking of course, but it's so simple to give words for this in play and chores; lets put the big cars in this box and the small ones in that box. My glass is empty can I have some milk so I can make if full? I need a short rail, I have to look for it.

>– basic geometrical concepts, properties, relations and propositions,

Naming stuff like button up this circle button, this package is heavy

>– basic statistical concepts and methods for
>collecting and processing data and for
>describing and comparing important properties of statistical information,
>– properties of different functions and their corresponding graphs,
>– the concept of probability in concrete random situations.

I'm not sure we do this a lot in our everyday life - but a little while playing games though

Yours
Linda
http://www3.skolverket.se/ki03/front.aspx?sprak=EN