Dear Readers,

This week, we have started looking at finger counting in maths and how our fingers can help us to understand numbers.

The children are being given lots of opportunities to explore how they can show the same number in different ways using their fingers (so, the number four can be shown with four fingers on one hand or two fingers on one hand and two fingers on the other hand).

This teaching is informed by the work of Dr Jo Boaler, from Stanford University. For more information, please see the website YouCubed: www.youcubed.org

The broader messages that we can link to this kind of finger counting is that mathematicians find many different ways to approach problems and that maths involves fexible, creative thinking.

Readeville has also watched the attached video, which involves another important message: Maths is about deep, slow thinking, rather than fast thinking.

We hope you find the video helpful!

Kind regards,

Marie, Rachel, Nancy, Karen and Emma