Numeracy Update

Helping Your Child with Addition & Multiplication Facts at Home

In our junior classes, students are currently learning about addition by exploring part-part-whole relationships and how to join collections together. The years 3 and 4 are about to start working on multiplication and division.

A key focus is developing strong knowledge of “number buddies” to 5 and 10 (for example, knowing that 7 + 3 = 10). This helps children become more flexible and confident with numbers.

Understanding these number combinations is very important, as it supports students to develop efficient strategies for addition and subtraction. Year 2 students are expected to use a variety of strategies when adding and subtracting. One of these is the “build to ten” strategy, where students make 10 first to solve problems more easily.

You can support your child at home by practising simple number combinations to 5 and 10 through games, counting activities, or quick mental maths questions.

Building strong number fact knowledge is one of the best ways to support your child’s confidence and success in maths. When children can quickly recall addition and multiplication facts, it helps them solve more complex problems with ease.

Here are some simple and fun ways you can help at home:

Make it part of everyday life

• Practice addition when cooking (e.g. “We need 2 + 3 cups—how many is that altogether?”)
• Use multiplication when setting the table (e.g. “4 people, 3 items each—how many altogether?”)

Use short, regular practice

• Just 5–10 minutes a day can make a big difference
• Focus on a small set of facts at a time rather than all at once

Play games

• Card games like Snap or Make 10 , rock, paper, scissors.
• Dice games (roll two dice and add or multiply)
• Quick-fire challenges: “How many facts can you answer in 1 minute?”

Encourage thinking strategies Help your child understand patterns rather than just memorising:

• Doubles (e.g. 6 + 6)
• Near doubles (e.g. 6 + 7)
• Using known facts (e.g. if 5 × 4 = 20, then 5 × 5 = 25)

Keep it positive

• Celebrate effort, not just correct answers
• Encourage your child to have a go, even if they’re unsure
• Mistakes are part of learning! 

When giving kids riddles or problems to solve, avoid giving away the answer too soon. You are robbing them of discovering it for themselves. Instead of feeling the thrill and accomplished that they have worked on a problem and found a solution, they will feel the let-down of not having had enough patience and determination to reach the solution themselves.

Let the child have ample time to consider, ponder and grapple with the problem. If they start to give up, give them a little clue to nudge them in the right direction. After solving any maths problem, ask the child questions about it: ‘How did you arrive at your solution?’ ‘Could there be more than one answer?’ ‘Is there another way to solve this problem?’ ‘Do you see any patterns?’ ‘Does your answer make sense?’

Finally, I would like to stress that although I believe all people can enjoy mathematics to some degree, not all of us are designed to be mathematicians. Just like not all of us are built to be NBA players, or have the long, dainty fingers to become pianists. Therefore, it’s important not to pressure a child to be something that they are not made for. Nurturing mathematical thinking is important for all people. But whether they use that mathematical thinking to become engineers, or use it to become better business owners, or more efficient chefs, or simply more competent members of society, either way, they are better off.

When supporting your child with maths at home, try to resist the urge to jump in with the answer too quickly. Giving children time to think helps them experience the satisfaction of solving a problem on their own and builds their confidence and persistence.

Encourage your child to take their time to explore, think, and even struggle a little with a problem. If they begin to feel stuck, offer a small hint or ask a guiding question to help them move forward, rather than solving it for them.

After they’ve worked through a problem, talking about their thinking can be just as important as the answer itself. You might ask questions like:

• “How did you work that out?”
• “Is there another way to solve it?”
• “Could there be more than one answer?”
• “Do you notice any patterns?”
• “Does your answer make sense?”

It’s also important to remember that every child is different. While all children can develop strong mathematical thinking skills, they will use these skills in their own unique ways.

Whether your child grows up to be an engineer, a business owner, a chef, or simply a confident problem-solver in everyday life, these skills will support them in many areas.

Our goal is to nurture positive attitudes towards maths, build confidence, and help every child see themselves as capable learners.

Numeracy Leader | Colleen Monaghan