Mathematics News
Mathematics at Westgrove!
Maths Vocabulary Word of the Week:
Each newsletter we will be introducing you all to a new maths vocabulary word for you to learn.
Capacity:
Maths at Home Ideas:
Support positive attitudes towards mathematics
Let your child know that everyone can be successful in mathematics. This can be done by…
- encouraging your child to be persistent in working through problems; success will build confidence.
- Avoid negative comments about maths such as, “I was never good at maths.”
- Praise effort not intelligence. Use words like I like how hard you are trying. Avoid saying things like you are smart.
Be an active participant in your child’s learning:
- Read books to your child that involve maths and talk about the maths as you read.
- Relate maths to real-life experiences so your child can see how maths is useful.
- Complete puzzles and play board and computer games that involve logical thinking, strategising, and reasoning.
- Involve your child in daily activities that require the use of maths such as weighing objects at the grocery store,
- measuring ingredients for a recipe, and estimating the amount of time it will take to complete a task.
- Problem-solve out loud so your child can learn how think through the steps necessary to solve a problem.
Create an appropriate learning environment:
- Provide materials and manipulatives that promote and support mathematics such as pencils, paper, rulers, tape measures, counters, protractors, calculator, measuring spoons/cups, analogue clock, graph paper, thermometer, etc.
Promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- As your child works on maths problems, ask higher order thinking questions such as How can you prove that? What would happen if…? Does that make sense? Can you predict what would happen next? How does this relate to…?
- Encourage your child to solve problems a variety of ways: Guess and check, draw a picture, make a list, solve a similar problem, look for a pattern, work backwards, use manipulatives, simulate the problem, make a list, etc.
Show interest in what your child is doing and learning at school
- Make it a habit to ask your child to tell you about what they learned about maths in school that day. Follow up with interesting questions to let them know what they are learning is important to you.
Problems of the Week!
Prep - 2 Problem
Year 3 - 6 Problem
