Counting More than 1,2,3!

More to counting than 1,2,3!

When you are counting at home tools to help often show the numbers 1-100.

Here are some tips to help you practise counting at home (or in the car, waiting for a sport to start etc!).

Make 120 your target number (at least).  

Many students get lost after reaching 100, or even 109.  Making a higher target helps them learn the pattern numbers follow.

Count forwards and backwards

As often as you count forward, count back.  This helps build number awareness and develop skills in other areas later on.

Use concrete materials

When learning to count always pair the words with actual objects to help students understand quantity.

Skip Count

Count by 10s, 5s and 2s.  When they are mastered start on a number which is not a multiple of those.  e.g. Can you count by 5s starting at 3?

Next add skip counting by all other numbers.

Choose challenging numbers

Can you count by 6s starting at 14?  Can you count by tenths starting at 1.2?

Three in a row bingo!

This week we are featuring a game which builds place value knowledge.  

The best thing is that it uses no special materials, just things you can find around the house.   W3 T2

Three in a Row Bingo

You will need a tape measure (over 100cm is best) some paper clips and a deck of cards.

* Shuffle your deck of cards.  

* The first player chooses two cards to make a two digit number.

* Player one may then use this number, or a number ten more or ten less than the number.

* Player 1 then finds the number on their tape measure and marks it with a paperclip.   

* Player two confirms that the clip is in the right place.  

Play alternates until one player places the third paperclip in a row (like connect four).  They are then the winner!

With your cards

Kings & Jacks =0

Queen = wild card (your choice)

Make the rules easier by throwing out the picture cards and drawing one at a time. Use 1 more one less rather than ten.

Make the game harder by making a custom tape measure (number line) and allowing negative numbers or decimals.

Love the game?  Made a modification of your own?  Share on the St Matthew’s Facebook page!

More or less snap - A great at home game

This week our numeracy focus is on a game that you can play at home to develop mental computation skills.

More or less snap!

You will need a deck of cards and two players.

As usual in this game of snap you are looking to win the pile of cards on the table by snapping onto a 'match'.  However, in this game the rules have changed.  Try snapping if the card placed on top of the pile is one more or one less than the one underneath it.  

You could make this game harder by making the difference between the cards greater e.g. Three more or three less

Make the game easier by removing the picture cards.

This game helps with concepts of place value,  as well as addition and subtraction.

Happy Snapping!

Double, Half, Stay? Games for at home

Double? Halve? Stay?

At St Matthew’s we have been very lucky to have some amazing visiting teachers from different universities.  Here is a game Miss Van Der Berg has introduced to us which you might like to play at home.

You will need - Two dice (a spinner or dice app works just as well)

Two or more players

How to play  

Choose a starting number between 6 and 132

Player 1 rolls their dice to find out their number (e.g. One dice represents the tens digit and one the units digit.  e.g. 3 and 4 makes 34 or 43)

They can then choose to double it, halve it, or leave it as it is to get the closest to they can to the chosen number.

Each player has a turn.  

The person with the number closest to the starting number scores a point.

Everyone chooses a new starting number.

The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.  

Make it easier - Use only one die or a 10 sided die / spinner

Make it harder - Use three dice, one for a whole number and two for tenths and hundredths.

What a great game for a rainy day!

Mrs Usher

Open Ended Fun

At St Matt’s we aim to make all of our maths activities ones which “enable students to develop a positive self-concept as learners of mathematics, obtain enjoyment from mathematics, and become self-motivated learners through inquiry and active participation in challenging and engaging experiences” (NSW Mathematics Syllabus 2014).

Below is a task that students and parents might like to try at home.  Like many great puzzles we hope it enables you to obtain enjoyment from mathematics! We are not sure of it's origin, but thanks to the Western Sydney University who used this with a cohort of teachers long ago!

The entrance to an ancient underground storehouse has been discovered.  Each room contains a different number of gemstones.

You may only visit 13 rooms before returning to the entrance otherwise you will be trapped forever.

There are no doors which go diagonally.

Which way will you go?

BIG numbers

BIG numbers!

Learning how to read large numbers is a big confidence booster for students and helps them to recognise the maths in real life.   

This week try looking for large numbers in your environment and 

reading them together.

Some places you can might find larger numbers are:

In the newspaper

On television

Real Estate windows / advertisements

3 digit numbers on car number plates

House numbers on long streets   

km on street signs 

Top scores on computer games

What others can you find?  Add your suggestions to the comment section!