What parents do at home matters…

We often see and hear media reports that lament Australia ‘falling behind’ other countries when it comes to mathematics. Unfortunately, some people think it’s okay to be bad at maths and sadly, many children develop anxiety around mathematics from a young age. Maths seems to be a problem.

Is there something you, as a parent, can do to help? Relying on teachers alone can’t fix the problem.  There are many things parents can do to help their children learn, understand, and appreciate mathematics  before they begin school and during the  school years.

Be positive about maths!
Many people openly claim they don’t like maths or they’re not good at it, unintentionally conveying the message that this is okay. Unfortunately, this can have a detrimental effect on the children who hear these messages. In my research on student engagement, children whose parents made similar comments often used the same comments as mathematics became more challenging during the high school years. These behaviours can lead to children opting to stop trying and dropping out of mathematics as soon as they can, ultimately limiting their life choices.

As a parent, be conscious of displaying positive attitudes towards mathematics, even when it’s challenging. Adopting a more positive outlook on mathematics allows children (and parents) to acknowledge that mathematics is challenging, but not impossible. Rather than saying “I can’t do it” or “it’s too hard”, encourage statements such as “I can’t do it yet” or “let’s work on this together”. If you’re struggling with the mathematics yourself, and finding it difficult to support your child, there are options such as free online courses like Jo Boaler’s YouCubed website (www.youcubed.org), apps such as Khan Academy, or you can always pop in to the school and have a chat with your child’s teacher about some games and activities you can play with your child at home to develop a strong sense of number.

Know what maths your child is learning
Mathematics teaching and learning has changed significantly over the last few decades. Unfortunately, many of the older generations still expect children to be learning the same maths in the same way, regardless of how much the world has changed! Access to the mathematics curriculum is free to everyone. Parents have the opportunity to find out what their child should be learning simply by accessing the Australian Curriculum online, or talking to their child’s teacher. This can help parents who may have unrealistic expectations of what their child should know and be able to do, and will also help them understand that mathematics is not just about numbers or learning the multiplication tables. True mathematics is about deep understanding and being able to not only give an answer, but also being able to explain their thinking, finding new ways to solve the same problem and representing their understanding visually and numerically.

One of the most common complaints when it comes to school mathematics is that children don’t ‘know’ their multiplication tables. Is this important? Yes, it’s still important that children gain fluency when dealing with numbers. However, it’s also important that we don’t just rely on rote learning, or repetition. Children need to understand how the numbers work. In other words, they need to be numerate, and have flexibility with numbers. Once they understand, then fluency can be built. Using maths games is a good way of getting children to build up speed with number facts.

Make maths part of everyday activities
Bring maths into daily conversations and activities with your child. After all, there’s maths in everything we do. For example, if you’re cooking you might ask your child to help you measure out ingredients. If you’re shopping, you could have a little competition to see who can make the best estimation of the total grocery bill or perhaps ask your child to work out the amount of change (this may be challenging given that we use credit cards most of the time).

Games can provide opportunities to talk about maths and help your child. Games that use dominoes and playing cards are great for young children as are board games such as Snakes and Ladders or Monopoly. Even non-numerical games such as Guess Who have benefits for mathematics because they promote problem solving and strategic thinking, important mathematical skills.

Parents who can work with their child’s teacher, be proactive in their child’s education, and demonstrate positive attitudes towards mathematics can make a big difference to their child’s success at school. It’s an investment worth making.

Adapted Article written by Dr Catherina Attard
Flinders University

Maths games used at St Matthew’s that you can play with your child at home:

Teachers at St Matthew’s use these games in the first phase of our mathematics framework. This is called the GRASP phase.

“Grasping refers to students building a robust knowledge of adaptable and transferable mathematical concepts and structures. During this phase of mathematics, games that promote an understanding and deep immersion in number concepts are used. These games have multiple entry and exit points, are easily differentiated and at some point, should include student choice.”

*When playing these games at home with your child, it is important that they have the foundational knowledge and skills in a particular concept before playing. These games should not be used to learn new skills, rather played to solidify existing skills. *Links provided below (please click on the heading of each game.)

Email Communication

St Matthew’s Primary School values and promotes partnerships that develop between parents/carers, students, and staff. We are committed to communication that is respectful, measured, sensitive and constructive.  

We acknowledge that email is very convenient for parents who may find it difficult to speak to school staff during regular work hours.

Email is the most effective form of communication for non-urgent matters and queries. Staff will only check their emails when they are not teaching. For this reason, emails are generally not accessed nor sent during classroom teaching time. So, for urgent matters, such as information about medication, lost clothing, or dietary information, parents are asked to call or email the front office. 

Our school community also values face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations, and we understand that these forms of communication are preferred in many situations (when COVID-19 Safety Protocols allow). Parents are invited to email teachers, or contact the front office, to make appointments for face-to-face or telephone meetings.

Answering emails after hours and on weekends has been shown to affect work-life balance, health and levels of sleep. With the exception of extenuating circumstances, or in an emergency, staff are not expected to access or to respond to emails from other staff members, or parents, outside of normal working hours (ie 8.30am to 5pm). You can expect that your email will be responded to within two school days.

Please contact the school if you have any questions about these protocols.

Petra Cole

Assistant Principal

Woden Valley Youth Choir

The WVYC has been engaging the voices and stirring the hearts of children and youth in Canberra for over 50 years.

We are currently inviting everyone to our Annual Concert, 

all 8-18 year olds to come and sing with us at the Open Rehearsal, and then try out during an audition.

We’d be glad if you could pass on the following information, as appropriate, to children at your school.

WVYC Annual Concert–Saturday 7/Sunday 8 August

A full and varied program featuring all our choirs: Nova (Lower Primary); Borealis (Upper Primary/Lower Secondary); Australis (Secondary/Tertiary); Centauri (choir for young men with changing voices).

6pm Saturday 7 August Wesley Uniting Church

3pm Sunday 8 August Wesley Uniting Church 

Bookings: trybooking.com/BSSDH

Open Day (Rehearsal)–Tuesday August 17

For ages 8-18. Come and have fun as you sing with one of our age appropriate choirs. No previous experience necessary.

RSVP: info.wvyc@gmail.com

Auditions–Saturday 21 August

For ages 8-18. Take the next step as you join us. Prepare a simple song you sing well. Our director, Olivia, will guide you through the rest.

Bookings: wvyc.director@gmail.com 

For more information, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me by reply email. Or visit our website at wvyc.org.au. 

NAB_flyer_1_.pdf

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