Number_Doctors in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Education

Number_Doctors

Locality: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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25.01.2022 This week we decided to do some painting. Now painting is something that doesnt happen often in my house, mainly because it is hard to keep Mr 1 out of the paint. But Miss 4 has been painting at kinder and asking if she can practice at home, so I set up a painting station for her.... She had lots of fun showing me her skills and, me being me, I decided to include a little maths... Click the link in my bio to read more... https://www.numberdoctors.com.au/paintingmaths/

25.01.2022 This week’s #kidsgamereview is Peach Snaps by @ridleysgames. Yes, it sounds a little like an alcoholic beverage...but it is actually a fun card game in the shape of a peach ! In "Peach Snaps" the cards can be categorised in 4 ways: colour (yellow, blue, purple, green) number of peaches (1,2,3,4) ... type of peaches (sliced, half, full peach or canned) If I put down a card that is blue and has 2 peach cans on it, anyone can put down a blue card, any card with 2 items on it or any card with peach cans. The game continues until someone puts down all their cards. This can be a very fast-paced game, because you don’t have to wait for your turn... but when we introduced this game to Miss 4 we played slowly to help her get the hang of it. There are a few other rules, like you can put down a "freeze card" and make someone miss 3 turns, or you can start a new pile with a "+" card... but we added those rules in later when we played with the older girls. Where’s the maths? sort and classify- Miss 4 had to look at her cards and classify if she has any which were a similar colour, number or peach type to the card on the floor. Subitising- In this game you are constantly counting to see if there are 1,2, 3 or 4 items on the card put down by your opponents. You are then checking if you have a similar number of items on any of your cards. As Miss 4 got faster, I noticed she wasn’t counting- she was subitising- just looking at the cards and instantly recognising that it was 1,2, 3 or 4! Subitising is a really important early number skill to develop Dr Ange and Miss 4 rate this game 8/10 for ages 4 all the way up to adults... it is fast-paced (if you choose to play it that way) and lots of fun!! You can purchase the game from @dymocksbooks. Have you played "Peach Snaps"?

24.01.2022 This weeks #wheresthemathwednesday theme is Weather Miss 4 is currently obsessed with her pink umbrella ! EVERY time we go for a walk she asks if she can bring it along. So I decided to add some maths into the discussions we have about whether (pun intended) she needs it.... So lately, before we walk, we look up the Bureau of Meteorology radar and decide the likelihood of it raining... When we look at the radar I use phrases like: It definitely wont rain It might rain It will certainly rain Wheres the maths? Language of chance- using words like definitely, might and certainly are introducing Miss 4 to early probability! If/Then- in coding we use if/then logic... here Miss 4 is seeing IF it is going to rain THEN we need to take the umbrella on our walk Map reading- when we look at the radar we discuss where our house is approximately. Data- Miss 4 is seeing how we use scientific data to make informed decisions... something mathematicians do every day So next time you go for a walk... dont forget to discuss the chance of rain (and refer to the BOM radar)!! For lots of other great Weather related maths posts check out #wheresthemathwednesday

24.01.2022 This weeks game is one I purchased after a recommendation from one of my favourite educational game shops @thecoffeeapple . It was a present for Miss 4s birthday and it has quickly become a favourite of everyone in our house! It is called Pairzi and is from the very talented makers of tenzi... another game I will be reviewing in upcoming weeks! Pairzi is a super fast paced game where each player has 2 dice and rolls them until they get two of the same number. When the...y do they call out stop and start searching for pairs among the cards on the floor. They keep searching until someone else rolls doubles and they yell stop... that person then begins their search until someone rolls doubles etc etc, You could be searching for 2 seconds or 30 seconds depending on your luck (see my stories for vision of us playing)The winner is the person with the most pairs at the end. Wheres the maths? sort/classify- as soon as you get doubles on your dive you search for pairs... you are trying to match colours, different attributes all at high speed! It is sorting and classifying on hyperdrive subitising- when you are not searching for pairs you are trying to roll doubles on your 2 dice so you are constantly subitising! counting- at the end of the game each player counts their pairs. comparing- after each player counts their pairs you compare the numbers and the person with the most pairs wins! I rate this game 10/10 for 3-6 years olds!! It is fun for everyone- even adults!

23.01.2022 Early Maths is so critical! One research paper showed that in the USA pre-schools children spent an average of JUST 58 seconds per day on maths!! We really need to make sure maths is on the agenda- it is a stronger predictor of success than early reading skills- yet early reading gets all the attention!

22.01.2022 Perimeter is a concept that is focused on in upper Primary School in Australia. However, I always tell the teachers and parents I work with, just because a concept is not in the curriculum doesnt mean you are not to talk about! Read about how I had a chat about perimeter with Miss 4 in this weeks blog! Check out the link here:... https://www.numberdoctors.com.au/perimeter-for-4-year-olds/

22.01.2022 Maths is a little bit like one of those "Magic Eye" drawings... once you start to see it... you cant unsee it! It is honestly everywhere... in every activity you do throughout the day... Just switch your thinking and tune into the maths and you will be able to share it with your children!! Before long they will turn into little "maths detectives" that spy it everywhere too!

21.01.2022 Miss 4 loves this game... It completely changes her mood... suddenly it is a race to get to bed... Give this one a go... It beats "if you are not in bed by the time I count to 5..." any day! Once again counting saves the day!!

19.01.2022 This weeks #kidsgamereview is a simple card game called Donkey. I have great memories of playing this card game with my Nan... I can still see her crawling around on the floor pretending to be a donkey! Fast forward 35 years and it is me who is crawling round on the carpet saying "eee-oor"!... This game is really simple... all the cards are split between the players (it is better to play with 4 or more people). The cards are all pairs, but you only include one donkey card. Each player looks at their cards and takes out any pairs. They fan out their cards and hold them up. Without looking at their cards, in turn, each player selects a random card from the person to their left. If the card selected makes a pair with one of the ones you already have in your hand, you put the pair down and the game continues (check out my stories for a snippet of us playing). Meanwhile the lone donkey card is floating around in someones hand, and they are doing their best to pretend they dont have it... It is so fun watching Miss 4 play this game and try to control her facial expressions when she gets the donkey card! The winner is the person with the most pairs... the loser is the person left with the one donkey card... and you guessed it they have to crawl around and "eee-oor" to the delight of everyone else! Wheres the Maths? Sort and Classify- players have to match pairs of cards Counting- At the end of the game everyone counts their pairs. We ask: "How many pairs do you have?" Comparing- the winner is the person with the most pairs. We ask: "Who has the most pairs?" Ordinal Number- after counting the pairs we always order the total of cards we have and ask "so who came first/second/third?" I rate this game 10/10 for 3-6 year olds!

19.01.2022 This weeks #kidsgamereview is Trouble Trouble is (another!) one of our favourites! Miss 4 often asks to play! There is definitely something very cool about pushing the dome to roll the dice If you havent played Trouble, these are the rules. Each player has 4 tokens. You must roll a 6 to be able to move one token onto the board. Everyone takes turns to push the dice button and move their tokens. If someone lands on any of your tokens on the way around, you must mov...e that token back to the start. If you have multiple tokens on the game board at once you can split your dice roll. So if you roll a 5, you could move one of your tokens 3 spots, and another token 2 places (hubby thinks I just made that rule up). The winner is the first player to move their 4 tokens all around the board to their home. Wheres the maths? subitising- Miss 4 works on recognising the dice patterns as she plays (when we first started she didnt know them- she learnt them pretty quickly though!) one to one correspondence- another great part of this game is the holes in the board. They really help to encourage Miss 4 to slow down her counting and focus on her one-one correspondence- one number name for each hole. (You will see in the video her sister helping her with this skill when she first started playing) part part whole- by allowing players to split their roll- ie if the roll 5 they can move one piece 4 and another piece 1 place (or whichever combination they want) Miss 4 is working on learning how we can break numbers into smaller amounts... atm she isnt able to do this for numbers other than 2 (she knows she can do 1 and 1) but her sisters help her and she is learning fast!! problem solving- every time we play the rules are the same but scenario is different... Miss 4 has to solve the problem of how to win! probability- Miss 4 is being exposed to chance as she comes to appreciate the wonders of rolling a 6... (which is actually just as wonderful as any other number) Do you have Trouble at your house? I encourage you to play this weekend and watch the maths happening in front of you!! I rate this game 10/10 for 3-8 year olds!

18.01.2022 This weeks #mathmondayfun theme is sensory activities. Lately Miss 4 has been very interested in writing numbers. Now this is not a skill I place a high priority (or any priority) on before children start school. Many children are not developmentally ready to form letters/numbers correctly, but it is a skill that is pushed ad nauseam through lots of school readiness resources.... I would rather parents spend time working on helping children to have fun with maths and come to a deep understanding of numbers 1-10 rather than writing numbers. Forming numbers takes barely any time to teach when children are ready, but if they are not ready can be a REALLY tedious process for parents and children Now dont get me wrong, Im not saying DONT work on writing numbers... but only IF your child shows an interest... Last week Miss 4 and sister made a cubby house and Miss 9 put a number on it... ever since Miss 4 has been wanting to write numbers... monkey see monkey do She even said to me yesterday mum can you teach me to write numbers? So today I got out my sandpaper number cards from @righttolearn and Miss 4 traced the numbers... the sandpaper provides a perfect scaffold and sensory experience(see my stories for video footage)!! This was a quick activity and the perfect way to introduce her to writing numbers! Wheres the Maths? number identification writing numbers through developing her fine motor skills

18.01.2022 This weeks game review is of Monkey Bingo by #popularplaythings Monkey Bingo is a game that all my children have loved to play. The best thing about it is can be played easily by young children (and as an adult it is quick and easy to play!). There are not many games that a 2.5 year old can join in with... but this is one of them! Each player gets a bingo card with 9 animals images. Players take turns to use the monkey dispenser to push out a tile with 2 animals. If you ha...ve one of these on your Bingo card, you place a token on it. First person to cover all 9 spaces on their card yells Monkey Bingo and wins!! Wheres the Maths? Sorting- each player needs see if they have the matching animal on their bingo card... each time you are using your sorting and classifying skills. counting- questions like how many more have you got to go? encourages players to count how many spaces are left on their card. comparing- questions like who is winning? encourages players to look at other cards and compare the number of tokens. I found a video of us playing Monkey Bingo when Miss 4 had just turned 3(check out my stories). As with most things, she has started playing games earlier than I did with my eldest, simply because (pardon the pun) monkey see, monkey do But it just shows, you are never too young to join in games- even if is just sitting on a parents lap and playing as a team. I rate this game 10/10 for 3-5 year olds! Save this post for a christmas or birthday present idea!! Ps if you are in Australia Discount Toy Co sell this game:)

18.01.2022 As you may have guessed, we love playing games as we walk... another one of Miss 4’s favourites is I Spy... as she is not quite ready to play the official version of the game (the one where you use the starting letter of things you see... like I spy something beginning with the letter T) so we modified the game to use colours. In colour I spy we take turns saying I spy something that is... green and then the other person guesses green things they can see as we walk......if we pass object chosen (because we are walking) the rule is you have to tell the other person passed it and then we swap over (otherwise, from experience I can tell you it will be a LONG game) Check out my stories for an example of the game... Where’s the maths? Classify and sort- every time Miss 4 chooses an object or guesses, she is classifying the world around her by colour. Classifying if a really important early number skill So next time you are out walking... give colour I spy" a go!

18.01.2022 For me, a Maths Moment is anything from a 30 second conversation to a 10 minute board or card game. The aim of this account is is to make "Maths Moments" as easy to identify for parents as picking up a book and reading... my favourite maths moments are ones that happen in our everyday home life... using the remote on the TV, unlocking the Ipad passcode, counting down to zero with the microwave... Keep your eyes open... maths moments are everywhere!

18.01.2022 This weeks #kidsgamereview is "Kerplunk" You might know it you have lots of plastic sticks with marbles precariously placed on top of them and basically the game involves pulling out the sticks. It is one of those games that takes longer to set up than to actually play... To be honest I wasnt as excited as I normally am about playing this game it had numerous risk factors involved including pointy sticks and marbles both of these were the type of danger items Mr 1 would love to get his hands on. Anyway Miss 4 was keen to play so while Mr 1 slept, we had a game now I have been known to say that every game contains some maths and just when I was wondering if this was going to be the one exception bam a really cool maths moment emerged. We were taking turns to pull out sticks, and a whole lot of marbles fell Miss 4 declared Im winning To which I said no in this game you want to have less marbles She replied What is less? Wheres the Maths? comparing- we used the language of less and more to compare who was winning... we had a great authentic discussion around the meaning of less counting- at the end of the game we each counted our marbles and declared the person with the least marbles the winner! I would rate this game 7/10 for 3-6 year olds (the sticks, marbles and extended set up are too much for me) Have you played Kerplunk?

17.01.2022 Todays #wheresthemathwednesday theme is Apples. Since we are in lockdown in Melbourne we have moved to ordering our fruit and vegetables online from @the_happyapple!! Each week everyone gets very excited to open the delivery (small things excite you in lockdown).... Yesterday I decided to include some maths by inviting Miss 4 to help me check our order (see my stories for video). Wheres the Maths? sorting- I called out the fruit/vege name, Miss 4 had to sort through the box and find that particular item. counting- I called out the number and Miss 4 had to count and check that there was the correct amount. Simple, fun, fast, authentic maths Ps our family go through 28 apples per week!! We love ! What is your childs favourite fruit? Dont forgot to check out the other #wheresthemathwednesday posts!

16.01.2022 This week's Monday Maths moment is all about "Sock Sorting". I am not sure if it is just me, but I have an odd sock problem. There are so many odd socks in my house, that they outnumber the pairs We even have an "odd sock bucket", where I place those poor socks who emerge from the wash every day without their partner... So about once a week, it is Miss 4's job to grab the "odd sock bucket" and see if she can find any pairs. She loves doing this because there is always a LOT of interest in how many pairs she can find. Where's the Maths? Classify and Sort- Miss 4 is sorting the socks that match, so she is constantly classifying them by size, colour and design. Counting- Each week Miss 4 counts the pairs she has managed to make and reports back the number. We always give her a reaction like "OOOH that is more than last week" or "Mmmm, not as many this week", to make sure we include some comparative language. So this week, I encourage you to invite your child to help you with the washing and match some socks! P.S: Teaching Miss 4 to fold socks took some time... but it is worth it! one less job for me! BTW is it just me who has issues with odd socks??? See more

16.01.2022 Miss 4 has a real love of Fairy Tales. The 3 little bears, The 3 little pigs, The 3 Billy Goats gruff I think it is the good vs evil that she loves. Anyway, as always, I have been trying find Maths Moments within the things she is interested. As we have been reading these books I have noticed several things:The fact that there is 3 in a lot of these stories 3 bears etc so this is really great way to get your child familiar with the number 3.... So in this weeks blog I explain how I use Fairy Tales to chat about Maths... https://www.numberdoctors.com.au/maths-and-fairy-tales/

16.01.2022 This weeks #wheresthemathwednesday theme is Recycling We go through A LOT of @tamarvalleydairy yoghurt pouches every day... so I decided to collect the lids and use them for... you guessed it... some maths fun! This game was adapted from one I saw on @ev_yapimi_hikayeler ... Basically we had two sets of coloured lids... Miss 4 had blue, I had green... We then took turns rolling our dice on which I had written only the numbers 1,2,3. Whichever number we rolled, we would take that many of the other persons lids and replace them with our own. For example if Miss 4 rolled a 3, she would take 3 of my green lids from the cardboard grid and replace them with 3 of hers from her container. The object of the game was to try to have more of your lids on the gameboard than your opponents after 2 minutes of game time. We had the iPad next to us to time the game. Check out my stories for a snippet of us playing the game. Wheres the maths? Number Identification: I only used the digits 1,2,3 on the dice so Miss 4 was working on recognising these. Subitising: Miss 4 is becoming really familiar with the numbers 1,2 and 3... I put these numbers on the dice as I wanted her to move from counting these collections to subitising- that is, just seeing 2 lids and grabbing them. Part-Part Whole: Miss 4 was working on her part-part whole for the number 3. Saying things like "Ill get 2 from here and 1 more" means she is starting to see that 3 can be made in different ways: like 2 and 1. Counting: At the end of 2 minutes we counted how many lids we each had on the game board. Comparing: At the end of the game we compared our collections- who had more lids on the game board, who had less? who won? Time: Miss 4 was in charge of setting the 2 minute timer on the iPad. Through this she was gaining experience with the concept of time duration, and vocab like minutes and seconds.

16.01.2022 Most nights I invite Miss 4 to set the table (have a look at the video in my stories) The first thing I noticed when I watched back this video... was how much she has improved in this skill with consistent practice... She now collects all the knives and forks without me needing to check or count with her... it is a simple way you can involve your child in maths and developing independence and responsibility! Wheres the Maths? Counting: Miss 4 needs to count the cut...lery pieces and keep track of her count Classify and Sort: She also needs to classify the cutlery into categories such as knives or forks Language of Location: We are not up to putting specific pieces of cutlery on the left/right of plates...yet (but maybe your child is?)...I just say "can you put the cutlery in the middle of the table?" Remember to save this post so you remember to give it a go when your child is ready! See more

14.01.2022 Left and Right... Parents often ask me how to teach left and right... There are lots of little tricks out there, like make an L with your fingers etc... but for little ones they dont know the letter L, or how it relates to left... so I always advise to just give lots of exposure in different contexts... whenever I can, I give instructions like can you pass me the doll on your left... can you brush your teeth with your left hand tonight... and as you will see in thi...s video stay in the left Here are some tips: try to focus on just one direction for a few weeks (i.e., in the prompts above I used just left... rather than both left and right) be aware of your language... sometimes Miss 4 might say is this left?... and ive caught myself saying yes thats right (meaning thats correct)... but... think how confusing that is! So I always try to say yes thats correct remember to face the same way as your child when you say left or right...as your left may be their right... confusing!! Like many concepts the distinction between left and right takes time and lots of experiences...I have a friend who thinks back to her Prep classroom to help her remember her left and right... Personally, I remember left because it is the hand my watch is on... so if Im not wearing a watch it takes a second longer! How do you remember left and right??

13.01.2022 This weeks #wheresthemathwednesday theme is cards. As you know, we love playing games so we often have cards out! This is one if our favourite games atm... Spoons... Rules: Each player gets 4 cards, this game happens pretty fast so currently as Miss 4 is learning she only gets 1 card and we put her last in the circle so she can take her time checking cards. In my video (attached in the comments below) you can see how I introduced the game to her first, and then see her playing with everyone In the game, the dealer has the deck of cards next to them. They pick up a card look at it and decide whether to keep it or pass it on. If they want to keep it, they must discard one of the cards they already have (you can only ever have 4 cards at once). They put any card on the floor next the person on their left. That player then picks up the card and decides if they want it or not and puts it next to the person in their left. Meanwhile player 1 is continuing to pick up cards and deciding if they want them... it is a fast moving game! The object of the game is to get 4 cards of the same number. Once you have 4, you can grab a spoon (discretely if possible) from the middle. As soon as someone grabs a spoon, anyone else can (even if they dont have 4 matching cards). There is one less spoon than the people in the game so someone misses a spoon each time (like in musical chairs). Wheres the Maths? Sort and Classify- Each time Miss 4 looks at a card she has to classify if she needs it or not. number identification- Miss 4 only has one card and is trying to find another that is the same number. subitising- Miss 4 is constantly needing to check how many spoons there are left. If any are missing she had to take one! And make sure you save this post so you can have a family game of spoons

13.01.2022 Every so often I move some of the games in our games cupboard and put then out on view... I have found this encourages us all to play with different games instead of the same ones over and over again... I do have a little confession to make... Im obsessed by games...board games, card games... I love them all! ... Every Christmas and birthday I buy each child one game (sometimes 2 ) (and then there are the games I buy for teaching purposes too)... so over the years I have collected and played ALOT of games. With all this experience, I consider myself to have a pretty good eye for an educational game- well thats what I tell myself So I thought I would share a review each week on one of our games and how I play it with Miss 4... Hopefully you will find this useful! Ps do you prefer board or card games??... I love a good card game! Simple, fun and fast... so next week I will share my all time fav!

12.01.2022 Yesterday was Fathers Day in Australia! All my children love to help in the kitchen. So whenever its a birthday or special occasion we will bake something (usually a packet cake) . Cooking/Baking provides so many opportunities for mathematical discussions!... Yesterday we decided to bake a @greensbakingaustralia chocolate cake . This is a list of the maths conversations/actions I noticed: Counting: counting the number of eggs we required Weight: measuring the butter Capacity: measuring the milk Number Recognition: turning the beater around to a particular number (talking about faster and slower) Time Duration: timing how long to beat the mixture Temperature: setting the oven temperature Time Duration: timing how long to leave the cake in the oven Now for a 15 minute period, that is a LOT of maths to discuss! And that is why I love baking (and the fact we get to eat yummy cake) What does your child love to help you cook/bake?

11.01.2022 Do you remember the process your child went through learning to walk... It started, with rolling, crawling, standing... in fact it was a process that started the day they were born! Every day they made a tiny bit of progress, until that wonderful moment where they put it all together and took those steps! I smile every time I watch the footage of my children taking their first steps! It is so exciting and a truly AMAZING achievement- but it took time... and so does learnin...g maths! It is lots of small steps, lots of experiences and little by little they put them together... An understanding of maths does NOT happen over night... Little by little they get there! Keep giving them those experiences and keep celebrating their AMAZING developing brains! See more

10.01.2022 Can you believe your child may have never seen a real calculator! How fast technology moves... Miss 4 found this in the top drawer of our study (where all my too good to throw out, but not in use items end up) We had a great discussion about what a calculator does and then chatted about numbers and I popped in some cheeky number recognition practice... So this week I encourage to see if you can find a calculator (or just show them the one on your phone)...let your child have a play with it and listen for the Maths questions they ask!

10.01.2022 Do you like fashion, AFL football, running, hiking, gardening, or cooking??? Have you noticed your children are interested in the same sorts of things?? Well, that is because they see that you value those things.. they see they are important to you... and they become interested in those pursuits too... it is a way to connect with you... Without trying hard you have captured their interest... The same is true with maths... if you show an interest in maths... your child w...ill too... If you talk about and notice maths... your child will too... It is a simple case of monkey see, monkey do... See more

10.01.2022 Research shows it is not about how much maths you know or dont know... it is how you feel about maths that children pick up on... So if you break out in a sweat at the very thought of fractions or algebra... do your best to not pass this onto your children! Think happy thoughts about maths and talk positively about it to your children... show an interest in maths... because its a result of the way you were taught maths that you dont like it.... NOT because you are not "good" at maths.... everyone can understand maths with good teaching and a positive growth mindset!

10.01.2022 This weeks #kidsgamereview is Tic Stac Toe by one of my fav educational toy/ game creators @melissaanddougtoys This game is basically a 3D version of Tic Tac Toe (noughts and crosses). It has a 4 x 4 base grid and includes X and O pieces (and a few square blocker pieces). Basically the object of the game is to get 4 crosses or noughts in a row- either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally in 2D and 3D.... I have been playing this with Miss 9 and Miss 11 and they love it... but of course Miss 4 wanted in. So I adapted the game and just played the 2D version, with the winner only needing to get 3 a row... It is so fascinating watching young children play this game because they are so focused on their own pieces they forget to check their opponents moves- they are all offense and no defence! But the great thing about this game is the 2 "blocker" pieces. These blocker pieces can be used as bonus pieces by younger or less experienced players. And they are genius!! As soon as Miss 4 was given the 2 blocker pieces, she started looking at what I was doing- her focus changed from just her pieces to also trying to block mine... The blocker piece means you can block your opponent and still have your go... it was a great inclusion into the game! Wheres the maths? Problem Solving- every time we play there is a new problem to solve (how am I going to win)...and strategical thinking to develop. Counting/Subitising- This game requires you to constantly be counting from 1-3 to determine where the potential threats are when someone has 2 in a row and is about to win! Spatial Awareness- Miss 4 was constantly looking in different directions and had to be aware of the whole space on the 4x4 grid Language- the words vertical, horizontal and diagonal were all used and as they were in context Miss 4 began to understand their meaning. (check out my IGTV to watch us play) This is a brilliant game for 4 year olds through to adults. I would rate this game 10/10! You can buy this game from the wonderful team at @knockonwoodtoys

08.01.2022 We all know reading a book each day to our child develops their love of literacy... well playing games is the equivalent in maths! Through playing card games and board games (just short and sweet ones) children develop problem solving, counting and so many other skills (remember to check out my weekly posts which share specifics on where the maths is in my favourite games) Imagine if every time you play a game you say lets do some maths, and play Uno/snakes and ladders/*in...sert any game title What a positive association your child will develop with maths!! Save this post so you remember to make the link between maths and games!!

08.01.2022 Controversial quote...maybe... but let me qualify... IF your child is showing NO interest at all (i.e., not asking "how do I write numbers", or saying "can I write numbers")...then my advice is to not even bother trying to teach it... You could make them trace numbers... but it is just going to be tedious for you and excruciating for them. They WILL learn to write numbers when they are developmentally READY. And when they are READY it takes a really short time to teach thi...s skill... SO dont push it... you are SO much better to spend time playing a game then getting them to write numbers... LECTURE COMPLETE! See more

07.01.2022 Playgrounds are reopened in Melbourne!!! For months we have been unable to go visit them due to COVID restrictions It is true that you dont know how much you value something until it is taken from you! Well we love the playground!! To celebrate our return I have included one of my favourite old videos of Miss 3 (now 11) Counting at the park! Where is the maths? Counting: Miss 3 is trying her best to correctly count the balls- her use of eleventeen makes me laugh every time!!

05.01.2022 Today I invited Miss 4 to help me turn the dial on the toaster to Number 4. I love the way she repeats the number over and over as she searches for the correct position. Wheres the maths? Number Recognition: She is required to find the number 4.... Number Line- the numbers are shown in order on the dial and this is a type of number line! The more contexts children see numbers presented the better!! So next time you are changing the dial on your toaster why not invite your child to help- it will only take 30 seconds but it is a fantastic authentic way to look at numbers! BTW how do you like your toast??... on a well done to rare scale... I like mine medium rare and good old vegemite is my spread of choice!

04.01.2022 This week’s #kidsgamereview is Twister! We all know Twister...it involves a spinner and a big dotty plastic mat! In the game someone spins and then calls out Right foot blue and the people standing on the mat have to follow these instructions. The winner is the person who manages to survive in their awkward position the longest! Where’s the maths? Location words- right and left are regular words in this game so Miss 4 became familiar with them very quickly!... Tip if your child is struggling with right and left, let them wear different coloured socks on each foot so you can help them differentiate! This game is so much fun for all the family- Dr Ange rates it 9/10... ps my hamstrings are still recovering from the game Have you played Twister lately??

04.01.2022 This weeks #Wheresthemathwednesday theme is School School for us in Victoria is currently fully remote#covid I am trying to look at the positives of this situation...and one is the extra time my 4 children are spending playing together. ... Whenever Miss 8 and Miss 11 have a break during their day they are playing with Miss 4 and Mr 1... The other day I returned from teaching my uni class online to find Miss 8 and 4 had created this cubby! Unfortunately I wasnt there to hear their conversations, but Im sure so much maths went into creating it... This is the maths I could see: Pattern: they made patterned blinds out of icy pole sticks Time: they made a clock Number Recognition: They included a letterbox with the number 67 Proportional Thinking: they made items like a TV and remote and no doubt thought about how big they need to make them in proportion to the cubby. They had so much fun together, collaborated and were so proud to make their vision come to life! So, next time you have a few spare boxes lying around, invite your child to create a cubby house- through play and construction they will be developing so many maths skills! Did you have a cubby as a child?... we did... I loved it...my dad just told me yesterday he painted it I said thanks dad, only 35 years too late for me Check out these accounts for other great ideas: @countingwithkids @everyonecanlearnmath @mathteacherlove @tinathetutor @my_busy_kid @littleproblemsolvers @stayathomeactivitymom @what_the_little_one_does @numberdoctors @_snacksize

01.01.2022 People often say to me "Oh your children must be good at maths"... I am not sure why they say this, but I think some believe I magically passed on a "maths gene" to my children at birth. This is absolutely NOT true... my children were born with the same "maths brain" as your children... ... The ONLY difference is... I have made a conscious effort to provide them with opportunities to informally think and talk mathematically EVERY DAY... As a result, the neural pathways in their brains have strengthened and they have developed what appears to be "maths brain"... From the outside it might seem that they were born this way...they werent... they were made this way through lots of experiences... the good news is...you can develop your childs "maths brain" too...it is really easy (and lots of fun!)... Just include simple, short, fun discussions about maths every day- it all adds up- and before you know it your child will have a "maths brain" too!!

01.01.2022 The thing with TV viewing nowadays is everything is on demand. My children do not know what it is to sit through an ad break, and they dont know what it feels like to have to wait until a certain time each day to watch their favourite show. I remember having to wait until 5:00pm when Looney Tunes came on to watch Coyote and Road Runner.... This made me acutely aware of the time I would watch the clock with interest every day and then tell mum Mum, quick! Can we switch on? Its 5 oclock So, I decided to try out the same idea with Miss 4. This weeks blog explores this process... https://www.numberdoctors.com.au/introducing-analogue-clock See more

01.01.2022 I have this theory that people fall into two categories. They either hated maths at school or they felt "it was ok". Very rarely do I meet someone that says "I loved maths at school". Now don't get me wrong... I often meet people who say they "love maths"... and I am one of those people... but I can't in all honesty say I "loved maths at school".... For me maths at school was "ok"... So hit me up... how do you feel about maths at school?

01.01.2022 Todays #wheresthemathwednesday theme is Painting Miss 4 loves painting... I dont love it as much... mostly because of the set up, pack up and clean up required Sooo... I purchased this amazing Magic Water Scroll from the lovely girls @castleandkite It is 1.5m long and you just need to use water on your paint brush!! All the fun of painting but no mess, no clean up As soon as the water dries it is back to a blank canvas- hence the "magic"!... Today we had our scroll on the trampoline and we were playing a guessing game... Miss 4 and I took turns to paint something and the other person had to guess what it was... Wheres the maths? Shape- we were drawing and naming different shapes(see the video in the post) Classify- most times I couldnt quite work out what Miss 4 was painting so I would ask questions like is it an animal?... this required her to try to classify the objects she created into categories... Dont forgot to check out the other great Painting posts on #wheresthemathwednesday and.... Head straight over to Castle & Kite to get your own magic scroll- they are the best!!

01.01.2022 I am excited to be joining #mathmondayfun for the first time this week. This weeks theme is Lego. If you have been following my account you will know I LOVE Lego as it promotes the development of so many early maths skills. This week I decided to play a quick and easy game with Miss 4- Lego Bingo... How to play: 1. Grab 2 sets of 5 different coloured Lego blocks 2.Give one set to your child who places them in front of them 3. You keep one set and put them in a bag or a strainer, include a few other coloured blocks to make the game more challenging 4. Pick out one block at a time and your child has to match it with their coloured blocks 5. Game ends when all the blocks are matched Wheres the Maths? Classify/Sort: Miss 4 had to recognise the blocks which were the same as hers. Counting: I asked questions such as "how many more do you need?" This required her to count the remaining blocks. After we played, we swapped roles and Miss 4 was the bingo caller.

01.01.2022 This weeks game review is shopping list by @orchardtoys... In this game each player gets a trolley and a shopping list with 8 items to find. There are 32 little cards with shopping items on them and you spread these out face down in front of the players (1-4 players can play)... Miss 4 and I have only recently started playing with the shopping items turned face down- when I introduced the game we played face up which was a simple way to introduce the game! (see my Stories for footage of us playing) Players take turns to flip a shopping item card and then check if they have it on their personal shopping list. If they do they add it to their trolley and have another turn. If they dont they replace the card and it is the next players turn. First player to fill their trolley wins. Wheres the maths? classifying- you have to match the shopping items to those on your list, this requires children to classify items as on their list or not. memory- with the cards face down it is an advantage to recognise if another player has picked up one of your items and remember where it is located so you can grab it on your next turn. counting- you can ask questions like: how many do you have? how many do you need? (to see an example of this have a look in my stories) comparing- questions like who is winning? who has more? encourage children to compare trolleys. Dr Anges rating of the game for 3-6 year olds: 10/10

01.01.2022 Finding a way to count backwards in an authentic context is difficult... unless you launch rockets at NASA you wont be counting backwards very often! But there is one appliance in the house that count backwards... the microwave! Every so often I will invite Miss 4 to put in a certain amount of time like 30 seconds on the microwave. And then (at a safe distance) we stand back and count down with the microwave. Wheres the Maths?... Number Recognition: I ask Miss 4 to put in "thirty...thats a 3 and then a 0" Counting Backwards: We watch the numbers counting down and join in... usually just from 10 to 0. Time: We are talking about and counting seconds so Miss 4 is developing her sense of time. Can you think of anything else around the house that counts down? See more