Number Focus

This term we have been building our skills in multiplicative thinking. Using counters, sticks and arrays, we have been able to see that it is usually more efficient to use a multiplicative strategy to solve problems. Using skip counting is a bridge between adding and multiplying, so we have been learning to count using numbers 2 to 10 as the counter.

This term we have been doing quite a bit of work with money, learning how to show amounts of money in different ways. We have had fun with board games using money, having pretend money to spend using supermarket catalogues and we even prepared a shopping list for a family meal.  An important thing we learnt was that it is important to set dollars and cents out neatly with the decimal points all lining up so when we need to add or subtract, we don’t get confused. In supermarkets, the cash register works out how much change to give, but Mrs Bloomfield has been teaching us how to work out how much change using subtraction and also a counting on strategy.