Mathematics
Welcome to Mathematics at Rangeview! In this issue we provide some parent information from the Department of Education about incorporating Maths at home, provide a problem for parents and students to solve together and share some resources for building number fluency with addition and subtraction.
PARENT INFORMATION
The Victorian Department of Education and Training have online a pdf specifically for parents of children aged 0-12 titled ‘Literacy and Numeracy Tips to Help Your Child Every Day’. It can be found at:
The Birth to Year 2 pages include sections on:
Ways to develop Mathematical language in your child
Ways to practise counting
Hunting for numbers
Playing games
Playing with shapes
Making Patterns
Measurement
The Year 3 to Year 6 pages include sections on:
Ways to use sports to practise Maths skills
Weather Maths
Cooking
Using catalogues
Travel timetables
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Money
As you can tell, these suggestions provide a great way to incorporate Maths into everyday life without the necessity of sitting down at a table and completing a Maths task.
PARENT STUDENT PROBLEM SOLVING
The website https://www.openmiddle.com/ has an exceptional collection of problems where you need to use some or all of the digits 0-9 to solve a range of different problems. A typical example is included below. These problems work well if the digits are cut out and moved around on a desk in order to get closer and closer to a valid answer (of which there will be many). Have fun!
NUMBER FLUENCY
The outstanding website https://drpaulswan.com.au/resources has so many free printable Maths resources. One we found last year was Part, Part Whole cards. We haven’t managed to find it on the site this year so include it below. The 4 pages show two numbers with their sum written above. However, by hiding one of the numbers, whether with a thumb or counter, this supports students to develop and strengthen the link between addition and subtraction to identify the missing part. Cards should be cut along the dotted lines at the margins. Why not encourage your child to create an ‘I can do that!’ pile of cards and a ‘I can’t do that YET!’ pile?
We find many students who are able to add accurately do struggle with the more complex skill of subtraction. The extended periods of remote learning have undoubtedly had an impact on number fluency and Part Part Whole cards are one simple activity younger students might use at home. In the next newsletter, we will include some Factor Factor Product Cards, that use the same idea, but with numbers that can be multiplied or divided.
If you would like to learn more about something specific in Mathematics, please email the office at rangeview.ps@education.vic.gov.au with ‘Attention: Vicki and Lee’ in the subject line and we will respond to you directly.
Go Maths!
Lee Giddings and Vicki Tzimos