Transcript Maths information talk

Maths information talk
17th April 2012
Making maths fun!
What was your perception of
maths when you were at school?
• Maths is a ‘marmite
subject’?
• Quotes from adults:
• ‘I hated Maths at school’
• ‘I was doing long division
by the age of 9 but never
understood a word of it’.
• Quote from a child:
• What is the point of maths
when you can use a
calculator?
Be aware!!
• Approaches have changed, and may appear
different to the way you were taught! (Please look
at the calculation policy on the school website if
want further details).
• Understanding is more important than process.
• Focus is on developing skills in mental calculation –
efficiency in choice of methods
• Fluency in manipulating numbers is a key skill
At home
• Cooking- weighing, counting, mixing in right proportions,
programming the microwave, setting the table, sharing out
the Easter eggs!
• Games- Monopoly, card games, Uno, Yahtzee, Scrabble,
snakes and ladders, loads of different things you can do
with cards.
• Talk about time. How long between ‘tea and bed’?
• Maths games/puzzles on the internet.
• Fantasy football league!!!
Out and about
• Make maths part of life!!
• Children develop a love of books if parents read to them
regularly, and the same principle applies to maths.
• See if your child can spot number patterns in the prices
when you’re doing the supermarket shop. On a car journey,
who can be the first to find a number plate that adds up to
15?
• Games than involve adding up e.g 1 point for every lorry, 2
points for a supermarket lorry, 3 points for an Eddie
Stobart!!
• Let them help you with the shopping- supermarket or
internet!
Developing thinking skills
Ask open questions such as “How could we work that
out? or “What else can you try?” Questions such
as these might encourage your child to think
through the problem a little more.
• Sometimes, children can’t see the point of maths.
But without mathematics, we wouldn’t have cars,
computers, or countless other things we all take
for granted. Talk about great engineers – from
the pyramid-builders of Egypt, to the teams who
build Formula 1 Cars. Maths DOES makes the
world go ROUND!!
Problem solving
• This 6 pack of Marmite crisps costs £1:32. How much does
each bag cost?
• If an individual pack costs 30p how much are you saving per
packet or in total?
• How many two pences make up 10p?
• If I give you £1 pocket how many different ways could I
give it to you? If I give you 4 coins to make up £1 what
coins must they be?
• Often children can ‘do the maths’ but find it more
difficult to solve when in a practical situation.
Mental maths skills
• Can I do this in my head ?
• Do I need to make a jotting to show
what I am thinking?
• Do I need to use a written method?
If so, which one is the most
efficient?
Mental strategies
• 267 + 199 =
• 138 + 105 =
• 82 – 77 =
• 5 x 3 or 3 x 5
Estimation
• Don’t underestimate the power of estimation
• This is an excellent skill and is probably used 90%
of the time when you’re an adult. As maths skills
improve there is a real benefit in asking “what do
you think the answer will be?” This will encourage
the child to think through the problem, discard
inappropriate answers and become more
confident.
• Good estimation skill will also improve accuracy as
the child will begin to trust their own judgment.
Multiplication
• 13 x 4 =
10
4
3
Thank you for listening
• On the parent section of the school website, in
addition to these slides, there are copies of the
booklet that we have handed out this evening.
• There is also a copy of the joint calculation policy
agreed with GVC that shows some of the ways we
teach different strategies and methods.
• There is also a copy of an excellent Dept of
Education booklet called ‘Understanding progress
in maths- a guide for parents.