The Ontario government recently released a parent fact sheet and a teacher’s guide on Focusing on the Fundamentals of Math in grades 1 to 8. In the guide, teachers are asked to focus attention on expectations from the Number Sense and Patterning strands of the current math curriculum and are also asked to focus on student understanding and sense-making before formal methods, such as algorithms, are introduced.
York Region teachers have always worked to develop strong number sense and computational fluency while supporting student understanding of underlying concepts. All educators in our board continue to support students in becoming confident problem solvers who use mathematical knowledge, skills and processes to be contributing members of a changing society.
In order to support your child with math at home and in day-to-day life, this site lists useful websites, activities and games that you can reference and use. Thank you for the important role you play in the creation of confident problem solvers.
Math is everywhere!
September is a great time to start building routines at home which can support children in developing a positive disposition towards math. Providing opportunities at home that promote math talk can support a child’s mathematical knowledge and understanding. Whether you are, shopping, cooking, playing a game, organizing, taking a walk, or reading, there are many opportunities to highlight math in different ways.
Activities:
Primary - Grocery Shopping
- Ask your child to estimate how many of a grocery item (for example, a type of fruit or vegetable, bread or pet food) your family will need for the week.
- Ask, “Why do you think that amount will be needed?”
- At the end of the week, have your child count the number actually used.
Junior/Intermediate - Budget Challenge
- Give your child an imaginary budget to spend at his or her favourite store (flyers or online catalogues may be helpful). Without writing down the amounts, have your child choose items to purchase. He or she will have to use estimation to stay within the budget. Then, have your child add up the actual costs. Did she or he stay within the budget? For a challenge, help your child estimate any taxes.
Tips for Math
- Build strong, positive attitudes about math. When children feel positively engaged and successful, they are more likely to stick with an activity or a problem to find a solution.
- Begin with activities that meet your child’s level of mathematical understanding. Early success in solving problems will build your child’s confidence. Gradually move to activities that provide more challenge for your child.
- If you and your child are more comfortable in a language other than English, use it. Your child will understand concepts better in the language that he or she knows best.
(Taken and adapted from Doing Mathematics With Your Child, Kindergarten to Grade 6: A Parent Guide)
Check out the Monthly Math Problem!