Mathematics
Emma Sbizzirri
St Raphael's School
Winter Olympics and Maths
Enjoying the Winter Olympics? Why not engage in some fun Winter Olympic style Maths games!
Coin Curling
Set up curling circles marked with numbers. 'Curl' a coin towards the targets/circles. Calculate the total amount for each player. Continue to add the numbers. After a selected amount of rounds, the individual with the highest score is the winner.
Where's the Maths? Links to money, length/distance, measurement, and addition.
Coin Skiing
Create a mini ramp (using common household items like books, toilet rolls or blocks). Roll a coin down the ramp. Measure the distance the coin travels!
Where's the Maths? Money, formal and informal units of length
Speed Skating
Stand on two pieces of paper or newspapers. How fast can you slide/ski around your kitchen table?
Where's the Maths? Time, Distance, Speed
*Special thanks and credit to The Number Doctors for the Olympic ideas!
Maths Games
If you are anything like me and are fixated on the Wordle craze, I suggest engaging your child in the activity together. It's a wonderful way to discuss words and to approach learning with a 'Growth Mindset.' Once you've had a bit of time mastering the Wordle craze, Nerdle and Mathler are a wonderful Maths version which encourages individuals to create accurate number sentences from a given clue.
Assessment
Over the past week, students across the school have engaged in literacy and numeracy assessment. This assessment has been crucial for teachers to gather so that data can be used to drive explicit teaching.
Students in Years 1-6 have engaged in a Place Value assessment, using Essential Assessment to guide questioning. This will form the basis of teaching over the Term and will support the development of individual and group tasks.
Our school has been fortunate to have secured a role in the 'Early Number and Algebra' program. The program offers a professional learning opportunity to teachers and is designed to support a detailed and nuanced understanding of how children learn mathematics in the early years of schooling. The program will initially be focused on Foundation in 2022 and will be implemented into Year 1/2 in 2023.
The program aims to further enhance knowledge of the Victorian Curriculum in the Number and Algebra strand, support the progression of learning, and effective assessment practices to guide learning cycles for students at their point of need. This week all students in Foundation have engaged in a one-to-one assessment in Quantifying Number which looks at number recognition, forward and backward number sequences, and counting.