Mathematics

Maths in the holidays

It has been wonderful to see the varied mathematics learning that has occurred throughout the school over the last fortnight. Students have been exposed to a range of games, outdoor experiments and conducted their own research to gather data for Problem-based Learning (PBL) projects. 

As we approach the holiday period, it provides a wonderful opportunity to engage in real-life mathematics with your child. This helps put their learning in context and provides opportunities to consolidate learnt skills. 

Some ideas for the holidays: 

• in the outdoors - walk, talk, look and listen as a family. Practice counting (or skip counting) steps, finding numbers, shapes and patterns and mapping your path
• while on holidays - practice reading maps, investigating timetables and exploring elapsed time (for example, if a blockbuster movie begins at 11.40am and goes for 90 minutes, what time with the movie end?) 
• At the shops - shopping provides regular activities which students can explore mathematical ideas that are both simple and complex. Young learners can find items on a shopping list, look for interesting shapes or number, or talk about the size and weight of objects. While older students can practice using money, calculating change and estimating costs of items. 
• Engage in games - holidays provide the perfect opportunity to engage in board or card games where students can practice their reasoning and problem-solving skills.