Easter Holidays!

WOW!

First term has really flown by and here we are - it's nearly Easter!

Our students have completed a broad range of mathematical work and are really starting to show off their new skills and thinking.

 

In Australia, our students start school when they are around 5 years of age. Some start with quite alot of knowledge and some with a little.

One of our first jobs (after settling them into the routines of school of course!) is to find out what they know about numbers. Not just their ability to count, but to match collections, recognise and start to write numerals, and subitise a small numer of objects.

To assist us with this, a set of 0 - 20 Mix and Match cards will be added to our stores soon.

Two sets will be included (one with 10's frames and one with animal pictures).

 

    

 

In the meantime, we are going to take a short break over Easter and return at the start of Term 2.

We hope you enjoy this special time with family friends!

HAPPY EASTER!

 

 

Money and giving change

We normally post our new products on a Wednesday - but I needed to tweak this a little, so here it is!

Money - Giving Change (Australian Money) – 58 pages

This pack is aimed at Year 4.

At Year 4 Level our students are required to give change accurately to 5c and know that they can use calculators to check their answers. They investigate the use of foreign currencies and make comparisons to our own currency.

This pack contains

‘I Can’ Charts - Refer to them at the start and at the conclusion of the lesson as a reflection.

Thinkboards for working out change, including rubbings of change given.

What’s my change? 

Each picture of a wallet or bag has an equation to solve. Work with a partner and show how much change is given.  Work them out then check on a calculator. Use play money to place on top to show the change.

Dice tasks.

Roll the dice twice. Record the two amounts and decide which one is larger and subtract the second amount. You can use the bag page – laminate and use dry erase markers to record the equation.

Using play money or the money provided (at the end of the pack) to show how you make the change. Check on a calculator.

What does my change look like?

Copy in colour and use as a learning centre. Cut each card out.

The cards could be used for - Read the Room task and use the recording sheet. Copy and place around the room. The students locate the cards, record the equation needed and write down the answer. Sorting in sequence for the prices listed on each card. The red tag is the price of the item and the note is the money that the students have. They need to work out the change needed.  Students may work out as an algorithm, use coins to work out the amount needed as change or use a calculator.

Other currencies - To assist in investigating other currencies the tasks include – a template to record the currencies of five countries. Rubbings of foreign coins. Ask students to bring in coins from family travels and make rubbings of them. Venn Diagram to compare our currency to one other foreign currency. Compare prices task. Model this task using internet research and then let students investigate the process for objects. Change needed? Use the information gathered in previous task, then add the note or coins needed to buy the item and in the final column record the change given.

Assessment - the template is for recording the learning of each of your students. There is space to record your comments too!

2D and 3D shapes

We have been revising and working on 2D and 3D shapes.

I work in a Year 3/4 and many of our students needed to be extended and this pack was designed for Year 5 and 6. 

This catered for our large group of students who needed to be challenged. 

We used our pack for 3D objects to guide our work

Money, money, money

This week we have been counting money, adding money, talking about money and enjoying getting to know how to use it wisely. 

These photos show us counting and stacking to make multiples of the same denominations. 

Missing Number pack

Here is a new pack that helps with missing numbers and has an Easter Theme

Easter - Missing Numbers

Level:   K-1

Print and laminate these for different groups depending on their learning need or use the black and white as print and go!

Students use a dry erase pen to write in the missing numbers

Check with a buddy if they have recorded the correct numerals

Use number charts from around your room for children to check their work

                                               

AusVELS Content Description:   

Establish understanding of the language and processes of counting by naming numbers in sequences, initially to and from 20, moving from any starting point (ACMNA001)

CCSS

K.CC.A.2 Counting and Cardinality – know number names and the count sequence. Count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence (instead of beginning at 1)

Mathematical language: adding, next, after, and, add, plus, after, next, skip count

Resources, support materials or tools you will need: to print and laminate the tasks, markers or just print and go the black and white templates 

Sunday Wonderings

Mathematical language (continued)...

Last week we looked at the following questions...

• How important is the language we use when teaching Mathematics???
• Is there a common language used at your school to teach and discuss specific Maths concepts???
• Do you have a particular resource that guides your teaching and helps form the basis of the language used???

Interesting questions that are worth a few moments to think about...

 

Yes, Mathematical language is incredibly important as it forms the basis for all learning. We use it to build and extend skills and develop understanding, so the correct use of terminology and consistency across a school helps scaffold students for success. Using a common language helps avoid confusion for both staff and students and ensures there is a strong foundation for growth.

 

There are many quality resources available to help both teachers and students develop their understanding of Mathematics. One of my favourites is Teaching Primary Mathematics by Booker, Bond, Sparrow & Swan. This particular resource provides detailed sequences of mathematical learning based on years of extensive research with children. This particular resource, linked to our Australian curriculum,  helps form the basis of language used in many classrooms and schools.

 

Last week we looked at the language of addition. This week we will explore the language used when teaching subtraction (based on content from Teaching Primary Mathematics).

 

The language of subtraction:

take away - the first terminology used for used for subtraction. Students will grasp this concept through stories and visual prompts. Example: there were 7 books, when I take away 2 there were 5 left.

 

subtract - once take away is understood, subtract is used (moving to a more formal language). Example: 7 subtract 2 is 5

 

whole & part - a complete understanding of subtraction requires an explicit awareness that part/s are taken away from a whole, leaving a part.

 

renaming - this is a crucial step in solving subtraction problems. Understanding place value (for example 1 ten is ten ones) is essential for students to be able to complete a subtraction algorithm that requires renaming.

 

Alternative expressions can be introduced once the subtraction concept is fully understood. These can include such terms as: minus and trading.

Do you have any other language associated with subtraction? Feel free to add to our collection!

 

 

Fraction Bingo and Fraction Cards Bundle

This week we have combined two of our popular products into one great value bundle! 

This bundle supports students in understanding and comparing fractions represented in different ways.

 

 

Level (Year) 3 & 4
Number - Fractions

Both the Fraction Bingo and Fraction Cards packs are designed to allow students to recognise and match each of the fractions they are expected to know at AusVELS Level 3 and 4 including:

halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, eighths and tenths

along with the decimal notation of these.

 

Included in both Fraction Bingo and Fraction Cards are the various ways fractions can be represented. Fractions are represented by:
• Region model

• Two language forms

• Fractions of a collection

• On a number line

• Decimal notation (Level Four)

 

Print both Bingo & Fraction Cards in colour and laminate for long term use. Prior to printing Fraction Cards – decide on the best size for your purpose.

 

Fraction Bingo includes 2 sets of cards. Each set has 8 cards, all with a variety of fraction representations. The first set caters for students in Level 3 (using the region model, both language representations, fractions of a collection, and number lines. The second set also includes decimal representations.

 

To play Fraction Bingo…

 

• Groups can have up to 9 people playing – 1 to shuffle and deal out cards (or roll dice), 8 with Bingo Cards
• Decide which set of cards you wish to use (with or without decimal fractions) and distribute these to students. Ensure students have time to look at their cards and discuss the fractions/decimals they have
• Elect one person to shuffle and show the Fraction Cards one at a time. Students use a counter to mark off the matching fractions they have on their card. Fraction cards that have been shown are placed in a neat pile and will be used at the end of the game to check the winner’s Bingo card
• When students have 3 fractions in a row, they call out ‘BINGO!’
• The person showing the fractions checks their answers – if they are all correct, they are the winner. Students swap roles and cards & play again

There are also a range of variations suggested in the pack.

 

     

 

The Fraction Cards can also be used for a variety of other tasks and activities as described in the pack. As fractions are often a difficult concept for students to understand, it is essential we scaffold their learning and set individual goals to help them progress. Use as many or as few cards as you wish (decimal fractions may be used as an extension task for some students).  

 

Check out this bundle in our store!

 

 

Sunday Wonderings

Mathematical language...

• How important is the language we use when teaching Mathematics???
• Is there a common language used at your school to teach and discuss specific Maths concepts???
• Do you have a particular resource that guides your teaching and helps form the basis of the language used???

Interesting questions that are worth a few moments to think about...

 

Yes, Mathematical language is incredibly important as it forms the basis for all learning. We use it to build and extend skills and develop understanding, so the correct use of terminology and consistency across a school helps scaffold students for success. Using a common language helps avoid confusion for both staff and students and ensures there is a strong foundation for growth.

 

There are many quality resources available to help both teachers and students develop their understanding of Mathematics. One of my favourites is Teaching Primary Mathematics by Booker, Bond, Sparrow & Swan. This particular resource provides detailed sequences of mathematical learning based on years of extensive research with children. This particular resource, linked to our Australian curriculum,  helps form the basis of language used in many classrooms and schools.

 

Over the next few weeks we will explore some of the language used when teaching specific concepts in Mathematics (based on content from Teaching Primary Mathematics).

 

The language of addition:

 

and - the first term used for addition. Students will often come to school already understanding this terminology. Example: you can have 1 of those and 2 of these.

 

add - once and is understood, add is used (moving to a more formal language). Example: 3 add 4 is 7

 

part & whole - a complete understanding of addition requires an explicit awareness that parts are combined to form a whole. The part/whole notion lays the foundation for subtraction and is crucial for building up an ability to distinguish between addition and subtraction situations, particularly in problem solving.

 

Alternative expressions can be introduced once the addition concept is fully understood. These can include such terms as: plus, sum, total, altogether.

Do you have any other language associated with addition? Feel free to add to our collection!

Next week we will explore the language of subtraction.