Grade 3

Welcome back to Term 3. 

This week, students have been deepening their understanding of multiplication and division through a range of hands-on activities and word problems. A key focus has been recognising that equal-group situations can be solved using either multiplication or division, depending on what is unknown in the problem. Students practised identifying the missing information and selecting the correct operation before solving.

Our other exciting focus was learning how to use calculators confidently and responsibly. Students enjoyed exploring the different functions of a calculator and practised entering numbers and operations accurately. We discussed that calculators are valuable tools for solving and checking calculations, but that it is still important to check their answers using inverse operations (for example, using division to check a multiplication answer, or multiplication to check a division answer), helping them build confidence in the accuracy of their work. 

Throughout the week, students used bar models to represent multiplication and division problems, solved equal-group and "times as many" word problems, and explained the strategies they used to reach their answers. It has been wonderful to see students becoming more confident in choosing efficient strategies, justifying their thinking, and applying their mathematical understanding to a variety of situations.

We love seeing our mathematicians grow in confidence and independence each week!