From shopping to cooking to budgeting to commuting to DIY to time management to driving to holiday planning to problem solving to exercising; maths crops up everywhere and is often a required skill in the workplace.
But maths gets a bad rap. In fact, being negative about maths seems to be culturally acceptable in the UK.
Think about the number of times you’ve heard someone say or even boast about being no good at maths.
But numbers are a powerful tool. Being competent and confident in maths helps you understand the world and is a skill that helps you throughout life.
And so, it’s vital we work to change these negative attitudes.
Which is at the heart of why Maths Week England exists.
Maths Week England 2023 is taking place 14th – 18th November, here we run through what it is and how your primary school can get involved.
Launched in 2019, the goal of Maths Week England is to ensure that no child misses out on the opportunities that being a confident competent mathematician can bring. Founder of Maths Week England Andrew Jeffrey noticed a negativity surrounding maths amongst pupils.
“For some, the pressures of an over-crowded curriculum means that mathematics seems to them to be a painful and meaningless waste of time, with only the threat of not getting a GCSE pass keeping them going. I don’t believe any child deserves to feel this way.
“I believe we as teachers can change this perception, and help build a nation of confident mathematicians, who both use and enjoy mathematics. This is why Maths Week England exists.
“I hope you will join me and help change the conversation around mathematics across the nation.”
If you want to be a part of bringing about that change, here’s how your school can get involved.
We need to get pupils excited about maths. And this means we need to make it fun.
Combining maths and movement is one way you can do just that.
Our FREE Maths on the Move resource designed for Maths Week England uses physically active learning to engage children and make concepts easier to understand.
We know it works because numerous studies prove that physically active learning enhances brain function, improves focus, facilitates understanding, increases confidence and reduces anxiety. Plus, we continually measure the impact of our MOTM programme, with our 2021-2022 report revealing:
Using the free downloadable resource, you can get children up out of their chairs, away from their desks and excited about maths.
The resource is designed by teachers, in line with the national curriculum and tailored to Years 1 – 6.
Pupils need to answer maths questions covering key concepts, run to locate their answers on an activity card, and jot down the corresponding letter to break the code!
All you need to do is print out the activity cards, cut them up, spread them around the hall, playground or field, and give each child or team a challenge sheet.
Not only will the challenge make for a memorable Maths Week, it’ll also help inspire a joy of maths in children.
And an added bonus is that it contributes to the 60 minutes of daily physical activity recommended for children.
Plus, the activity cards can be used again and again to create new challenges.
Let’s work together to make maths fun and accessible so that every child can develop and find joy in this essential skill that improves life chances and makes the everyday that bit easier.
You can find out more about Maths Week England and what’s happening throughout here.
To receive your FREE Maths on The Move resource, click here.