Maths: Tips for Parents

Kindergarten - Weeks 3-5 - Whole Number

Go on a number hunt together and discover places where numbers are used such as:

• a clock
• television
• computer keyboard
• calendar
• telephones
• car licence plates

Counting the beats to your child’s favourite song and getting them to clap their hands or stamp their feet to the beat is a fun way to get your child counting. 

Counting with your child at home

• Count with your child the number of buttons as you do up a cardigan or shirt.
• Encourage your child to count the number of pegs used to hang out the washing.
• Count the number of steps from the front door to the letterbox.
• Count the number of eggs in a carton, and again after some have been removed.
• Count the number of times you and your child can throw a ball to each other without dropping it.
• Read and talk about stories and rhymes that use numbers.
• Sing songs and nursery rhymes that include numbers such as Five Little Ducks and Baa Baa Black Sheep.
• Have your child count as far as they are able to go and then encourage them to join you while you continue counting.

Year 1 and 2 - Weeks 4-5 - Data

• comparing data and information. For example, in our family, 3 people like fast food and 2 people like seafood. Which is the least favourite?
• Collect some data by asking simple questions (e.g., "What is the most popular fruit in our house?"). 
• Organise data using objects or tally marks

• Empty a toy box (LEGO, cars, or animal figures) and ask your child to group them.

  Challenge them to sort the same pile in two different ways. First by color, then by function (e.g., things with wheels vs. things without wheels). This builds flexible thinking.

• Draw a simple table with "Fridge," "Pantry," and "Fruit Bowl." Every time you put an item away, they make a mark.
• Sort the clean socks by color into rows on the floor.

Year 3 and 4 - Weeks 4-5 - 2D Shape

• The main way a parent can add to the experience of tessellating shapes is asking gentle questions along the way. Prompts such as "I notice that you're making a pattern. What can you tell me about your pattern?" are helpful in getting children to describe their thinking. Tessellating tiles come with a deep mathematical structure. Kids notice that structure through their play. There's not really much more needed in order for children to have a productive experience playing with them.
• Encourage your child to explore geometric concepts through hands-on activities. Provide various two-dimensional shapes (cutouts or physical objects) and let them combine, split, and arrange the shapes to form new designs. This tactile experience enhances understanding.
• Relate geometric concepts to real-world scenarios. Point out instances where combining shapes is used in art, architecture, or everyday objects. For example, discuss how tessellation is seen in floor tiles or how rotation is applied in design elements.
• Engage in math talk with your child. Use descriptive language when discussing shapes and their arrangements. Encourage them to visualize the transformations, such as rotation or reflection, by asking questions like "What happens when you rotate a square?" This enhances both language skills and conceptual understanding.

Year 5 and 6 - Weeks 3-5 - Percentages, Decimals and Fractions

• Visualise with Real-life Examples: Help your child make connections between benchmark fractions, decimals, and percentages by using real-life examples. For instance, when shopping, discuss how a 10% discount means paying 90% of the original price, or how a 25% discount means paying 75%. Encourage your child to mentally calculate these percentages to understand their practical implications.
• Practice Conversion Skills: Encourage your child to practice converting between fractions, decimals, and percentages regularly. Provide them with opportunities to work with different numbers and scenarios. 
• Problem-Solving with Discounts: Engage your child in problem-solving activities that involve calculating percentage discounts of 10%, 25%, and 50%. Give them scenarios such as buying items on sale or calculating discounts on a total bill. Encourage them to apply their understanding of percentages to solve these problems. You can gradually increase the complexity of the scenarios as they become more confident in their skills.