Class 4 News

Hello Families!

We are well and truly stuck into Term 2!  We have finished up our Human and Animal Main Lesson and have begun Whole Partlandia: The World of Fractions.  Why do we wait until Class 4 to begin fractions?  From the Steiner Education Australia Curriculum: 

"The unity and wholeness of the world has fallen away now, and the children continue the process of separation from the earlier participatory consciousness. This is the time to become aware of the world of numbers between each whole number. This can be done by speaking the fraction sequences and the number line. They work with concrete materials to see the reality of the fraction and recognise mixed numbers and improper fractions. Adding and subtracting of fractions with the same denominator is followed by work with equivalent fractions and then related denominators. 

Students have a living experience of number and now of fractions which will allow them to grow the conceptual understanding and skills to work with mathematics throughout their school years. They will not be reduced to formula too early but retain a sense of investigation."

I have had the privilege these past few weeks to be able to see students who have been quite anxious about the idea of fractions see the concept come alive for them. They realised that fractions are actually quite helpful and not as complicated as they originally thought.  By maintaining the wonder of mathematics, students truly retain that sense of wonder and investigation.  They are seeing fractions everywhere now and I love the enthusiasm!  

Have a beautiful weekend!

Blessings,

Brittany