Math Matters More Than Ever
In July 2023, the Minister of Education delivered a statement through the The Better Schools and Student Outcomes Act and announced that, “These new measures will focus on getting back to the basics of education: strengthening reading, writing and math, and other STEM disciplines.” The Minister continued, “…we’ve listened to the priorities of parents putting common sense at the centre of our education system.”
CGS has been a strong proponent of academic learning since we opened almost 40 years ago. Our students are presented with opportunities for learning math multiple times per day, in addition to their daily math lessons. We believe math matters and its exploration and mastery is a top priority at CGS.
How many different ways did you use math today?
Math is everywhere! Once you know what to look for, it’s easy to spot moments when learning through math can happen. Math is more than just adding and subtracting, it’s learning about spatial relationships, quantity, measurement, distance, symmetry, weight, probability and so much more.
Think about just your morning routine. How many different math operations and principles can you utilize? How many litres of water do I use in the shower? Can I estimate if running a bath uses more or less water? How long does it take to get to school if I walk? How much faster is it if we drive or ride a bike? How many steps do I need to take to get from the first floor to the second floor? By changing my stride, how can I change that number? What different units of measure can I use?
Parents and educators have the unique opportunity to build a foundation for a child to learn math skills through their everyday interactions with each other. Building this foundation is critical for children as they prepare for academic success here at CGS from Early Start through to Grade 3.
Counting, sorting, pattern and shape recognition and even our youngest Early Start/Pre-Kindergarten students use words to describe the size and location of things; bigger, under, little.
“Math knowledge is useful for all of us—from children to adults—in all aspects of our lives. When parents and teachers get excited about math, then children get excited about math. When we emphasize learning, and embrace mistakes, then children get excited about learning.” – NAEYC
What makes math special is that it’s a universal language — a powerful tool with the same meaning across the globe. Though languages divide our world, numbers unite us. Math allows us to work together towards new innovations and ideas. – Prodigy
Music, science, and even dance exploration fully utilize math concepts. So look for those moments when you can count, build, measure, match, and discover ways to make math fun just by seeking it out in everyday moments in our lives. We will, too. You can count on it!
