Here are a few things we did and some ideas for you to try at home.

In Kahu we have had a focus on learning Times Tables.  Dr Audrey Tan suggests 'Helping students to memorise their times tables is possibly the most important thing you can do for them before they leave primary school.'  A simple website for practice at home is www.timestables.co.nz

In Room 1 we got given 12 little squares to make a rectangle. 

Some questions we asked were:

• What could this rectangle look like?
• How many different rectangles can you make (using all the squares in each one)?
• How are your shapes the same? How are they different?
• What do you notice about the area? 
• Can you write a number story to match your rectangle?

In Room 2 we had a go at three way mix up. This was our problem:

"Jack has three blue tiles, three yellow tiles and three red tiles.
He put them together like this to make a square.
He made the rule that you could not put two tiles of the same colour beside each other."

Can you find another way to do it?
Can you find ALL the ways to do it?

In Weka children have been working on real life problems using money.  Working out how much a collection of items will cost or how many items can be purchased with a set amount of money.  Talking about prices or discounts, with your children when shopping, helps them understand how important maths is in life.

In Pūkeko we have been learning about the lines of symmetry of a variety of different objects. First of all we tried finding the lines of symmetry in shapes then we tried finding the lines of symmetry on our faces.

Then we found a book in the classroom and it was about lines of symmetry in butterflies.

When we read the book it showed us how to make them. When they were dry, we took a photo using the iPad and drew a line of symmetry on them to show we know where the line is.

Lastly we put them up for everyone to see them flying to a flower.

In Korimako we suggest www.bedtimemath.org as a great way to have conversations about math with your children.  There is something for all levels.