Mathematics 

What do we mean by Numeracy?

Children develop numeracy skills when they use mathematical ideas in their everyday lives. They begin to make sense of these situations by asking lots of questions.

Can families help? Yes!

You may feel that the maths children do at school is different from how you were taught, or that maths was not your best subject. You are however still able to help your child in many ways.

Families can help by:

Responding to children’s ideas by…

• Listening to, and talking with them about the number, shape and size of things in, for example, games, constructions, drawings, rhymes and stories.
• Pointing out numbers in magazines, books, signs, prices, packaging and number-plates
• Pointing out how these numbers help us to know how to find things, to know how much, to know how many and to know which one

Look for opportunities where children can…

• Sort, organise and count collections of things like: clothes, toys, books, shells, rocks, birthday candles
• Choose from a variety of materials of different shapes and sizes to use for play and solving problems.
• Be involved in making plans and designing their own constructions like cubby houses, robots, sand castles

The ‘Fridge List’ gives you ideas for incorporating Maths into your everyday lives!

Susan Mitchell and Mel Sanderson.