MathCount

MathCount???

This is not a great name for the project, I know, I am looking for a new name that is better in all respects. Please give ideas if you have one, but for now MathCount is it.

What is MathCount?

MathCount is a program to teach mathematics to children aged 6-12. The focus of MathCount is on learning about and understanding numbers. Children are encouraged to think about how they perform simple mathematical operations and what processes they use to solve them. They are then challenged to consider new processes that may be more efficient and effective.

What will MathCount teach?

mathCount will seek to enhance childrens' understanding in the following areas:

- Recognising and counting numbers from 0-10,000,000.
- Counting on from any number.
- Counting back from any number.
- Counting by ones, two, fives, tens.
- Understanding place value.

- Addition and subtraction of whole numbers up to 10,000,000
- Multiplication of whole numbers, one digit by one digit, one digit by two digits and two digits by two digits.
- Rote learning of multiplication facts up to 10 times 10.  (I am yet to be convinced of the usefulness of learning the 11 and 12 times tables, but am happy to be corrected on this)
- Division of whole numbers where any number up to 10,000,000 is divided by a number up to ten.

- Working with fractions to identify, sort, add, subtract and multiply.
- Working with decimals to identify, sort, add, subtract and multiply.
- Working with decimals to understand what the decimal point means and understand what are the values of the numbers after the point.
- Working with percentages to find the percentage of a value.
- Working with fractions, decimals and percentages to compare, identify and order them together.

- Working with probability to move from using simple terms to identify the chance of an event to expressions as fractions, decimals and percentages.

This is a preliminary summary of the kinds of concepts to be covered in the activities. They will be added to.

Focus on Methods

The main focus of this activity, though, is to help students learn to think about their thinking processes in mathematics and to improve upon this. Students will be encouraged to think about the processes they use and then to move on to more efficient strategies that will save them time. This is the most important part of the program to get right as it is the key to better understanding in terms of mathematics.