Mathematics

Maths pictures - Using pictures to engage in real-world Maths 

What mathematical questions can you write for this picture?

Example: How many oranges will fit on one tile? How many oranges will fit in four tiles? 

Notable Mathematician

I've recently been inspired by the 'Little Big Dreams' children books series. They offer a simple and engaging way to share stories with young children about influential people who have made a significant difference in our world. I highly recommend them as gifts for children - supporting both their literacy and love of learning! 

This fortnight, I've decided to begin to include short biographies of famous Mathematicians and their achievements. The aim of this is to highlight how much Maths is used outside of the classroom and to promote STEM leaders and their significant contributions. 

Ada Lovelace - the mother of computers

Born in 1815, Ada was taught logic, science, and maths from a young age which was very unusual for women at the time. In 1833, she met Charles Babbage who had begun designs for a computer. Ada developed the plans and described how codes could be created to handle letters and symbols. She also created a method for the engine to repeat instructions - something that computer programmers still use today! Ada Lovelace day is celebrated every year to recognise the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. 

Maths book recommendation

'How Many Jellybeans?' by Andrea Menotti - 

This giant picture book helps children understand the concept of large numbers in a fun and engaging way, starting with 20 and working up to a huge fold-out page showing one million jelly beans! 

Holiday Fun! 

As we approach the holidays, here are some helpful ideas to engage with your child in Maths: 

• board games! board games! board games! 
• Shopping - there are endless possibilities here from comparing the size of objects to estimating the total cost of the trolley contents
• Cooking - reading recipes and using formal units of measurements to create delicious dishes
• Reading timetables and maps - ever thought to give your child a map of Melbourne's CBD and have them lead you to your required destination? Calculate the total amount of time it will take to travel by tram or even convert the 12hr  times to 24hr times. 
• Practice times tables - organise toys or objects into arrays to practice timetables.