Mathematics

Hi Everyone,


In this post I will talk about our approach to mathematics over the last couple of years.  When the kids were younger we had an approach that looked a bit different to how we do maths now so I will talk you through the changes we've made. We are still using a lot of concrete learning experiences and books to supplement, but the children have adopted workbooks for mathematics and English as mentioned in previous posts. 

·      The children are still cooking and making and measuring and walking and talking maths on a daily basis as natural learners buzzing along with the business of concrete learning. Jay is doing chess club and both kids regularly play chess and learn an instrument which I hear strengthens the maths (left) side of the brain. 

     

     Both kids regularly play games such as Cashflow, Monopoly, Yahtzee and various card games which the children have been doing for years. I feel these games develop their counting, thinking and strategic skills as well as learning how to handle money/choices wisely and with compassion for other players in the game and consequently in life.

                        

     The children are now working through the Targeting Maths Workbooks. This is an Australian Curriculum based series that provides a comprehensive mathematics program for roughly six/seven year olds to teen age learners. Topics covered are fairly well explained but I find I have to give some additional support for concepts, perhaps that's a maths thing. Illustrations are quite colourful and most concepts are well covered. As with the English workbooks, topics are broken up into roughly week size blocks, which we do at our own pace and generally end up completing a book a year.

      The cross curriculum nature of so much of our learning means that many activities and  resources we use for  Science, The Arts, Technologies, Health and Physical    Education, English, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Languages are inevitably linked  to Mathematics, and to one another. Because this is such an important aspect of natural    learning, I will give a brief nod to point this out as we come across it.

      Talk Soon, Cynthia x

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