Deputy Principal's Update
'The cornerstones of Our Lady of Fatima Parish Primary School begin with faith and the positive relationships with families and Parish.'
How Can I Help at Home?
As parents we are always the first educators in our child's lives. What we do, say and model provides our children with the important basics in life. As children move on to kindergarten, school and beyond we enlist the help of others in their education.
Sometimes our own experiences in school can be both a positive and negative for our children. During parent teacher interviews I often hear comments such as "I was never any good at Math so I can't help" especially as they move into Upper Primary and Secondary school. Yet everyday we make 100's of mathematical calculations - we estimate time when driving to school and work, we work out amounts of food when preparing for our family, quickly work out which queue to get in at the supermarket or how much soil is needed for the new vegie patch. 67% of our daily mathematics happens at home so value what you are doing and get your children to share in the learning.
The linked article by Prof. Doug Clarke highlights how much value there is in the everyday mathematics we carry out as adults and how we can influence and involve our own children. I hope you find just one item that speaks to you and that you can try at home, all it takes is a change in mindset. My favourite is number 8 - I'll wager most of you still remember your childhood home phone number!
I was fortunate enough to be taught at university by Doug and what resonates most is his common sense approach to Mathematics. I hope that some of his ideas speak you. Let me know if you find an idea that works for you and your child.
Have a great week!
Darren Perry