Our Learning (Math)

Financial Literacy

During the week of Feb. 9, we began learning about money. We learned that before money was used, trading items were how people acquired things, such as the Indigenous people. However, to standardize and make a standard unit of measure, money began to be used to buy things. It is essentially “trading” money for an item. We also talked about how each country has their own money with their own values. Before we looked at the Canadian currency, we brainstormed what knew about money. We looked at the coins we use and what they look like. We also looked at the value of each coin and their symbolic images on the back. Then, we looked at the ‘paper money’ and how it has changed over time. We also talked about the figureheads on each bill. 

We also talked about how the money that we earn working has to be spent on “needs” and “wants”. We talked about how needs are things that are necessary for survival and wants are the extra things we can buy with whatever is left over. 

Visit from Ms. Tuan at Vancity.

As part of our learning of financial literacy, we had a visit from Ms. Tuan who is the Youth Credit Union Coordinator at Vancity. She taught us about the importance of saving money and we made a bank. She read us a story called, Start Saving, Henry! by Nancy Carleson. Then we made a coin bank. Ms. Tuan said that she loved the character because Henry is kind, responsible, and generous. He also created a goal for saving money. 

Number of the Day

We are now integrating the concepts we have been learning in math so far this year. This is known as “number sense” and having a good number sense will help in learning new concepts more easily. 

  Week of Jan. 26.

Subtraction – Opposite of Addition

During the week of Jan. 19, 2026, we began talking about subtraction. We compared it to addition and realized that the two operations (- and +) are opposites of each other.

During the week of Jan. 26, we reviewed subtraction and wrote it into our math journal.

Anticipating and Predicting

Using our previous knowledge and being able to apply it (learning), helps us to anticipate and predict solutions before working them out. This is the beginning of critically thinking, which is one of the core competencies. Using our previous lessons about odd and even, we can anticipate what our answer will be when we add two single digit numbers. For example, 3 (odd number) plus 4 (even number) would render an odd number since there are one of each kinds of number (7). For 2 (even number) plus 6 (even number) or 1 (odd number) plus 5 (odd number) would render an even number because there are two of the same kinds of numbers (two even numbers or two odd numbers) (2+6=8; 1+5=6).

Adding or Addition

The symbol ‘+’ is known as the ‘plus’ sign but there are other words and concepts associated with it. Here is what we learned. We also wrote it in our math journals. 

During the week of Feb. 2, 2026, we learned a new math game called, “Bump It”. We used the single digit pairs to help us with our addition facts. We play with partners and we try to bump our partner off of the number by rolling facts that equal that number. We used a double decahedron dice but we can use playing cards as well.

Basic Math Facts

It is important to see the connections between numbers and knowing the single-digit pairs to 18 is something we use even as adults. During the week of Dec. 15, we looked more closely at these single-digit pairs and wrote them all out. Then we looked at patterns when the pairs were all written out. We used 9-pip dominos to help us strengthen our knowledge of the pairs.

Ordinal and Cardinal Numbers

Ordinal numbers help describe the numerical order of things where cardinal numbers denote the quantity.

Odd/Even

During the week of November 24, we explored our study of mathematics a little deeper. A characteristic a number has is that they are either odd or even. Numbers are either odd or even, and do not flip flop back in forth depending on the day. That’s what makes mathematics more predictable, unlike all the rules to the exception in the English language. We began our conversation by looking at each individual from one to thirty and decided whether everyone in the number had a partner or not. Then we lumped all the numbers without the partners in one group and lumped all the numbers who all had partners in another group. We discovered that all the numbers whose last digit (ones digit or place value) ended in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 were in one group, and all the numbers whose last digit (ones digit or place value) ended in 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0 belonged to another group. The mathematical definition are as follows:      

-An odd number is any number whose ones digit is 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9    

-An even number is any number whose ones digit is 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0  

Strengthening Our Number Sense

Similar to dominos are when we play with two six-sided dice. We play this game with partners.

Dominos

We began using dominos to help us count numbers beyond ten. Dominos are like having two dice. We are trying to practice subitizing and count on from the larger quantity. For example, if there are three pips and four pips, we start with the 4 and then count on rather than counting all the pips from one pip to seven pips. We also tried looking for all the combination for each number from 0 to 12.

What are numbers?

Numbers can be represented in many ways such as words, tally marks, or numerals as stated below. However, it is also important to understand what each of the representations are. During the week of Sept. 30, the students showed their representation of the number five using counters.

During the week of Oct. 6, we continued to explore numbers. Similar to the counting 5, we looked at the numbers six and nine. We looked at the different combinations for these numbers.

These are the different combinations we got for the number 9.

Number Representation

Recognizing the numbers and understanding what they represent is an important first step towards number sense.

  Number word

  Numerals

  Tally marks

During the week of Oct. 20, we practiced representing our numbers by playing with our die.

During the week of Oct. 27, we continued to practice representing our numbers by playing with a die and then we started using a deck of cards to help us practice our numbers to ten (all face cards having a value of ten).

Digit Formation

As with printing proper letters, printing numbers is also an important skill. The concept of reading and writing left to right, up to down helps to build fluent readers. To help them learn how to print the proper numeral formation, I have taught them a rhyme to help them.  We have practiced them using our whole body, writing with our fingertips, and finally printing them on lined sheets. We have talked about digits being the same size as upper case letters so they are “tall”. 

• A line down from the sun, makes the number one (1) 
• Around and back choo choo, makes the number two (2)  
• Around the tree, around the tree makes the number three (3)  
• Down and across and down once more, makes the number four (4)  
• Down and around and back for a drive, makes the number five (5)  
• Like a monkey doing tricks, makes the number six (6) 
• Straight across and down from heaven, makes the number seven (7) 
• Down and around and back through the gate makes the number eight (8) 

Understanding Numbers

We compared how numbers are comprised of digits similarly to words being comprised of letters.

Math Tubs

Working with our current table groups, we played with math tubs to encourage building structures or patterns and strengthening our understanding of different attributes (thick/thin,  large/small, and colours).

Shapes   

As part of their math tool bag, each student has a bag of pattern blocks. The students can play with the pattern blocks as part of their morning activity or when they have free-time. I believe that using the correct mathematical terminology is important so I have taught them the names of the shapes.  Each student has a bag of pattern blocks containing a variety of shapes with specified quantities that they count before and after playing with them. The picture below is the legend they use to ensure that they have all the pieces.  

 

Subitize     

As humans, it is difficult to look at a bunch of things and be able to recognize more than five or six things at a glance without having to physically count each thing.  Therefore, being able to subitize, looking at a quantity of things and know how many there are without physically counting out each thing, is an important skill to have.  For example, if we roll a die, there are between one and six dots on each of its sides.  If we were to roll a six, it is easily recognizable without having to count each dot.  As an adult, this is a skill that we have built up over time.  Teaching children the skill to subitize is important so that they are able to count on and not always start back at one to find out how many there are.  In addition to die/dice, tally marks also a method of counting with subitization.