Numeracy - Maths

What can you do to help your child with their maths?

From the Ministry of Education website.

The New Zealand Curriculum: Mathematics at school

If your child is meeting the Mathematics Standard after one year at school they will be working at early curriculum level 1, solving realistic problems using their growing understanding of number, algebra, geometry, measurement and statistics.

They are likely to be counting from 1 using their fingers or objects to solve problems. They may be starting to count in their heads and beginning to recognise number patterns like 3 + 2 = 5.

To meet the standard your child will be learning to:

• solve mathematics problems up to 10, then up to 20
• count forwards and backwards with numbers up to 20, then up to 100, and know the number before and the number after any given number
• explore patterns, shapes and measurement
• organise and share objects
• talk about where they are, how they got there and where there are going – "I am in front of the tree","I am behind you"
• find out interesting facts by asking and answering questions (eg how many chairs are there in the classroom?).

This is a small part of the skills and knowledge your child is learning in order to meet this standard. Talk to the teacher for more information about your child’s learning.

Focus on number

During your child’s first year at school, 60–80 per cent of mathematics teaching time will focus on number learning.

Mathematics at home

Talk together and have fun with numbers and patterns

Help your child to:

• find numbers around your home and neighbourhood – clocks, letterboxes, speed signs
• count forwards and backwards (microwave, clocks, fingers and toes, letterboxes, action rhymes, signs)
• make patterns when counting "clap 1, stamp 2, clap 3, stamp 4, clap 5…"
• do sums using objects or in their head (eg 2 + 3, 4 +1, 5 + 4, 6 + 2)
• make up number stories – "you have 2 brothers and 2 sisters. There are 4 of them".

TIP: Mathematics is an important part of everyday life and there are lots of ways you can make it fun for your child.

Use easy, everyday activities

Involve your child in:

• preparing and sharing out food – "one for me and one for you". Ask, "How many for each of us?"
• talking about time – "lunchtime", "storytime", "bedtime"
• using words in everyday play like "under", "over", "between", "around", "behind", "up", "down", "heavy", "light", "round", "circle", "yesterday", "tomorrow". You can get library books with these words and ideas in them too
• asking questions like "How many apples do we need for lunches? What do you think the weather is going to be like today/tomorrow? What are we going to do next?"

TIP: Use lots of mathematics words as your child is playing to develop their understanding of early mathematics ("over", "under", "first, second, third", "round", "through", "before", "after"). Use the language that works best for you and your child.