Sparking Joy at Home in Math
Welcome families! We are excited to share that the Math Newsletters you will receive this year will have a focus on discovering the joy of math. This JOY of math is not just in the classroom, but right in your own home with a focus on making math come alive through everyday conversations and activities.
Each month, the newsletter will take a closer look at how you can spark JOY at home. We will explain the connection to the classroom, share a resource, and give you some eideas of what you can do at home. We hope that through family conversation, exploration, and connections, you will find the many opportunities to spark JOY and creativity of Math at home.
We also invite you to explore our Problem of the Month that can be found here! Our Problem of the Month is designed to engage minds of all ages, encouraging collaboration and creative problem-solving. Each month, you'll find a new mathematical experience that will spark curiosity and foster a love for learning mathematics.
Connecting it Back to the Classroom
Math is everywhere! From the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, numbers, patterns, and problem-solving are a part of our daily lives. The Ontario Math Curriculum encourages students to see math as meaningful, practical, and connected to their lives. By exploring math in everyday moments—like counting change, measuring ingredients, estimating time, or solving puzzles together—families can support students to build confidence and joy in math. These real-life connections show that math isn’t just something we do in school—it’s something we use every day in creative and impactful ways.
Engaging in SPARKING JOY at Home
Sparking joy in math conversations at home is about building curiosity, confidence, and connection with mathematics.
When you engage in Math Talk at home be sure to consider:
Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of asking "What's the answer?", try "How did you figure that out?" or "Can you think of another way to solve it?" This encourages thinking, not just memorization.
Focus on the "Why": Encourage your child to explain their thinking. Even if they get a wrong answer, understanding why they thought that way is invaluable for learning. "Tell me about your strategy."
Embrace Mistakes: Let your child know that mistakes are part of learning and a chance to explore new ideas. "That's an interesting way to think about it! Let's try another approach."
Try out some of the family activities at home with students:
Calendar Count:
- “What do you notice about today’s date? Is it even or odd? What patterns can you find in the numbers?
- Today is the 24th. What are all the ways you can make 24 using addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division?”
- You could start each day by looking at the date, weather, and counting days of school
Dice Games:
- Roll two dice and see if you can get them to be equal
- Roll two dice. Create an equation using the numbers to get as close to 20 as possible. What operation(s) will you use? Can you do it another way?
- “What’s the highest score you can make in 5 rolls? What’s the lowest? What strategies work best?”
Geometry Around Us:
- Go on a walk and spot 2D shapes in your home or neighbourhood.
- Find a structure made of 3D shapes. What shapes do you see? Why do you think the designer chose those shapes?
- Sort the shapes you see into categories: regular/irregular, symmetrical/not symmetrical, curved/straight edges. Can some belong in more than one category?
Math Puzzles:
- A farmer has chickens and cows. You count 20 legs. How many of each animal could there be?
- I’m thinking of a number that’s greater than 20, less than 50, and divisible by both 4 and 6. What could it be? How do you know?”
- If a pattern continues like this: 2, 6, 12, 20, ___, ___, what are the next two numbers? What’s the rule
Would You Rather? Math Edition:
- Would you rather earn $5 a day for 30 days or $2 the first day and double it each day?
- Would you rather split a large pizza into 6 slices or 8 slices if you’re sharing with two friends? Why?
- Would you rather walk 3 blocks to a store that gives you 20% off, or stay closer and pay full price for a $50 item? Explain your thinking.
By taking these small steps, you'll not only strengthen your child’s mathematical understanding but also ignite a lifelong love for learning. Over the course of the year we hope to provide supoprts and resources to help your family spark joy through math at home. We're excited to share more ideas next month!