NUMERACY

MENTAL COMPUTATION STRATEGIES

A big focus of our Numeracy teaching continues to be developing efficient mental computation strategies with our students. Research shows that over 80% of maths completed in our day-to-day lives is done mentally or 'in our head'.  

Times Tables 

Knowing your times tables is an essential component of mathematics and multiplicative thinking.  You can help your children to learn their times tables at home. 

The easiest order to learn your times tables is: 

0x - any number multiplied by 0 is 0

1x - any number multiplied by 1 is itself

2x - doubles

10x - the number is ten times bigger, so we place a 0 on the end

5x - is half of our 10x tables

4x - double, double

8x - double, double, double

3 x - double + one extra group 

6x - is double your 3x tables

9x - is 10x tables minus one group 

7x - 

Children often find it fun to play games and race against their parents or siblings to make times table learning more engaging! 

Another easy way to help is to have the times tables displayed in your home, so your children have incidental exposure to them throughout the day. 

In the last edition of the newsletter, I shared the Love Maths website which has some great games that encourage practising times tables and skip counting. 

AUSTRALIAN MATHS COMPETITION

Congratulations to all those students who participated in the Australian Maths Competition last term. 

The following students received credit and distinction awards which will be presented at assembly on Monday. 

Credit 

Gr 3 - Petra, Jennifer

Gr 4 - Mikayla, Ellen

Gr 5 - Nikolas, Christian, Dia, Emily, Jesse, Tom, Nirvair

Gr 6 - Alannah, Gabrielle, Vienna, Ndella, Isaiah

Distinction 

Danny (Gr 3), Ernie (Gr 4), Angela (Gr5)

High Distinction

Ryan (Gr3) 

Elsa (Gr 4) - Highest Achiever at Holy Name

PROBLEM OF THE WEEK

Answer from Last Week 

How Old is Granny?

Granny is 58 years old

Tom asked his Granny how old she was. Rather than giving him a straight answer, she replied: "I have 6 children, and there are 4 years between each one and the next. I had my first child (your Uncle Peter) when I was 19. Now the youngest one (your Auntie Jane) is 19 herself. That's all I'm telling you!" How old is Tom's Granny?