Mathematics
In our last newsletter, we included fun activities for F-2 students to engage with Mathematics each day of the week. Our Level 3-6 students and families had the opportunity to try solving the Starry Banner problem with the least amount of stars. Well done to all who had a go! This week we are bringing the Mathematics Curriculum to you in a ‘quick read’ format.
The ‘Quick Curriculum Guides’ below are based on the Australian Curriculum and were designed by Dr Paul Swan to provide an insight to parents about what is learnt in Mathematics in each year level. The guides provide details for an activity that can be done at home. Please keep in mind that children learn this curriculum over a whole year. Although we follow the Victorian Curriculum, the Australian Curriculum is almost identical.
We will include a section for each year level from 3-6 over the coming newsletters and hope that you find these easy to use with your children when engaging with Mathematics at home. This week, our focus is on Foundation and Levels 1 and 2. For more information please visit https://drpaulswan.com.au/.
Foundation
Level 1
Level 2
Just Gridding is a great place value and addition game for ages 7 and up. You need to have one ‘staircase’ per player (see image below), which you can easily draw yourself. Use a single 6 sided die, or even better a 0-9 die if you have one. The objective of the game is to make the largest number.
How to Play:
1. Player A rolls the die and both players have to place the number rolled in the ones column in the top row of their staircase.
2. Player B rolls the die and both players have to place the number shown in either the tens or ones column in the second from top row of their staircase.
3. Player A rolls the die again and both players record that number in the vacant square in the second from top row of their staircase.
4. Player B rolls the die and both players record that number in either the hundreds, tens or ones column in the third from top row of their staircase.
5. Play continues with both players taking turns in rolling, filling one entire row at a time before moving to the row below. They work their way down the staircase until all squares are filled.
6. Both players then use column addition to add together the numbers in their staircase to determine their total for the game. Younger students can use a calculator if required. The largest number wins!
Variation 1: For older students, you can increase the number of rows e.g. by having 7 rows, you will get totals of over one million!
Variation 2: Make the smallest number possible.
Variation 3: For older students, play a decimal version of this game.
Variation 4: Make the closest to a set number e.g. closest to 5000.
This game was taught to me by Rob Vingerhoets, and comes from his book ‘Maths on the Go’.
Keep an eye out for more Mathematics games and problem solving activities that the whole family can enjoy in the next newsletter, in additional to ‘Quick Curriculum Guides’ for Levels 3 & 4. If you would like to learn more about something specific in Mathematics, please email the office at rangeview.ps@education.vic.gov.au with ‘Attention: Vicki and Lee’ in the subject line and we will do our best to respond in the following newsletter.
Best wishes,
Lee Giddings and Vicki Tzimos