Home School Partnership-Mathematics

On Wednesday the 25th of March we had the Junior Home School Partnership on Mathematics.
On this night it gave the teachers and parents a great opportunity to work together and talk about Mathematics and how we can help/guide the students families in implementing mathematics in the home setting in terms of helping their children increase their mathematics knowledge and move up stages as well as increase their love for mathematics. This session was also to encourage parents in becoming more involved in their child's learning and teaching them how simple activities that they can do at home with their child every night can impact and help with their Mathematics.

There were 6 Teaching stations set up where the teachers would demonstrate to the parents how to use an activity in the parent packs that were given out at the beginning of the sessions.

I chose to demonstrate the squeezy box to the parents. I had made up 2 squeezy boxes per parent packs.  I also made up an instructions sheet for the parents that entailed how to use the squeezy box and a whole list of activities that they can do with their child.

Being it my first time for the home school partnership this gave me a fantastic opportunity to build relationships with the parents as well as the students and get to know them better.

Firstly I introduced myself to the parents: letting them know that I teach in all the classes from year . -8. I went onto explaining to them that inside their Mathematics package they will find two squeezy boxes as well as information and activities on how to use the squeezy box.

I went into explaining to the parents that this is a very simple activity to make up but it has many benefits for the children in regards to their learning and maths.

For beginners: The squeezy  box works on numeral identification. Through everyday exposure to numbers children will be able to read as well as idientify numbers. So to begin with its best to start of doing one side of the box and then move onto the other sides. I also stated to the parents that if their child comes to a number that they do not know it is okay as a parent to tell the child the number because the more they are exposed to the number as well the more it is repeated they will retain the number more.

We than moved onto introducing  the mathematical language of before and after. I demonstrated to a student a number and asked them " What number comes before 10" they would reply 9. If for example the child does not know this I would tell them "The number before 10 is 9" and I would get them to repeat it. The more exposure and the more repetition the more they will retain.

Now to extend the children that already know their number to 10 we can flatten the box and the numbers then become 2 digit numbers. Again we would go onto getting the children to read and identify the numbers and then move onto the other sides. We would then move onto before and after. Once the children have grasped identifying numerals and before and after we then move onto addition and subtraction. Again we move down the box. what is 2 more than 10. If the child is having difficultly understanding two more I explained to the parents that you can say it as a learning story. For example: Mary has 10 Barbie's and mum buys her 2 more Barbie's how many Barbie's will she have altogether? 10+2=12. I explained its best for them to try and get them to imagine- (hold ) the number 10 in their heads and then add 2 more. If they are having difficulty with that then you can use materials to develop their understanding.

We would do the same strategy for subtraction. I also stated that it is very important that we also use the mathematical language such as: plus, minus, equals. etc as that is what they are exposed to in the classroom as well as in the world around us.

There are a range of activities that the squeezy box can be used for in terms of learning mathematics: Numeral identification, addition, subtraction, division, times, place value.


I also went onto talk about how they can help their children in building knowledge of numbers (In our every day lives and the world around us)- I have listed just a few below.
Counting:

1. Cars
2. Shells on the beach
3. Pegs
4. Counting the vegetables that we put into our trollies when we go shopping.
5. How many steps you walk

Numbers before and after:

1. Using dice
2. Saying a number asking what number comes before or after
3. Reading numbers on mail boxes and saying what number comes before and after

Identifying numbers:

1. Reading letter boxes
2. Reading number plates
3. Reading speed signs.
4. Reading how many Km's to go.

Ordering numbers:

1. Writing numbers down
2. Ordering playing card numbers.

Below I have included a video that has information on a squeezy box.

http://prezi.com/nbroptk2dae4/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share


In conclusion, I felt that the Home School Partnership on Mathematics went really well. There was a good amount of parents and student's parents and they were very satisfied on how the night went.