Michael Ymer - Maths for Parents

HELPING YOUR CHILD WITH MATHEMATICS - PRINCIPLES & ACTIVITIES

#2 Maths Principle – Working them out for themselves

People learn, not so much by being told things as by working things out for themselves and linking new ideas to ideas that they already have.  You can help by asking your children questions, letting them work out answers for themselves, and then discussing their answers with them.

#2 Suggested Activities –Length

• We often compare objects and distances by length and height.  Children can first do this without using units, then using informal units (like paces/steps).  Then they learn about metres, centimetres, and kilometres.
  • When you are measuring with sewing or building materials, ask your son or daughter to estimate where a particular mark would be
  • Put up a height measurer for your children.  Mark your son or daughter’s height in centimetres at progressive intervals, such as one every two months.  The children take an interest in the way that they grow, and it also provides a language for describing how their height is changing.

Have Fun with Mathematics

Janine Hough