Counting backwards is one of the most important early maths skills and yet it doesn’t come naturally to many children.
Research shows that early number sense (especially subtraction and counting backwards) is the strongest predictor of long-term maths confidence and success.
💔 In fact, a 2022 study showed that nearly half of children who struggle with subtraction by age 7 go on to underperform in GCSE maths.
Let’s stop that before it starts.
🎥 Watch the video now and try the game with your child tonight. It’s short, silly and seriously effective. (If you don’t have Instagram here’s it is on YouTube👇)
Ask any parent or teacher what the foundations of good maths look like, and you’ll often hear “times tables” or “knowing number bonds.” But one of the most overlooked and most important early skills is actually counting backwards.
It might sound simple, but for many children, it doesn’t come naturally.
Here’s the problem: if a child can’t count backwards fluently, they struggle with subtraction, mental maths, time, money, problem-solving, all the core building blocks. And when they hit a wall in Year 2 or Year 3, they start to believe they’re “bad at maths.” That belief sticks. Confidence drops. And their progress slows right down.
This is exactly why we made the game in this video. It’s short, silly, and surprisingly effective. Because repetition doesn’t need to feel like hard work , especially not at the age when children learn best through movement, play, and laughter.
But here’s the truth that parents often discover too late:
You can try everything else but without a solid grasp of early number sense, your child’s confidence won’t catch up.
And we don’t want you to lose time.
At Fables World, we fix these skills fast. We use laugh-out-loud cartoons, a smart story system, and a university-backed structure that rewires how children feel about maths. We make it fun on purpose, because that’s what sticks.
💡 Most parents come to us after trying other apps, worksheets, or even tutors. They come back, sometimes months or years later and tell us they wish they’d started here. Because by then, their child had lost precious time and was further behind.
If you’re worried your child’s counting backwards isn’t strong, or if subtraction feels slow and sticky, try the game in this video tonight.
And when you’re ready to see real change, come join us at Fables World. It works and they’ll laugh while they learn.