Michael Ymer - Maths for Parents

HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH MATHEMATICS - PRINCIPLES & ACTIVITIES

#3 Maths Principle – Time to Think

Children need time to think and process before answering questions.  When asking your children questions or talking to them about mathematics give them time to think and process.  Be patient.  Wait for them to answer.  Also, explain to older children that they need to give younger children time to answer questions, rather than always answering for them.

#3 Suggested Activities – Weight

Children learn first to compare things by hand, and by using balance.  Later they learn about kilograms, and grams.  To support their learning, you can:

• Talk to children about different ways of weighing things
• Talk about containers in terms of how much they weigh
• Compare the size and weight of items in the supermarket
• Weigh ingredients when you are cooking (learning to cook is helpful in many ways!)

Have Fun with Mathematics

Janine Hough