What is My Child Learning in Mathematics?

The Ontario Mathematics Curriculum focuses on fundamental mathematics concepts and skills, as well as on making connections between related math concepts, between mathematics and other disciplines, and between mathematics and everyday life.

The curriculum is organized into six strands:

• Social-Emotional Learning Skills and the Mathematical Processes

• Number

• Algebra

• Data

• Spatial Sense

• Financial Literacy

You can explore the curriculum on the Ministry of Education’s Curriculum and Resources website. Here you will find the expectations for each grade and strand as well as supporting resources for these expectations, including examples, key concepts, and sample tasks.

Where Can I Find Resources to Support My Child’s Math Learning?

On the YRDSB Math website, you will find activities, books, games, and websites for each division on the Supporting Math Learning at Home page.

TVOLearn: TVO’s Ontario certified teachers have developed an overview of the curriculum for each grade and associated vocabulary for each subject area, as well as a curated list of engaging videos, articles, podcasts, games, and activities to support learning. Please feel free to explore the resources available to support math learning for each grade linked below:

• Kindergarten

• Grade 1

• Grade 2

• Grade 3

• Grade 4

• Grade 5

• Grade 6

• Grade 7

• Grade 8

Celebrating the Many Global Contributions to Mathematics

Throughout human history, people from many cultures and societies have contributed to the continuously developing understanding of math. As a part of each monthly newsletter, one of these many significant contributions will be shared in celebration of how diverse ways of knowing have shaped our mathematics today.

Did you know that one of the oldest mathematical objects ever discovered is the Ishango bone? This 20 000 year old bone was found in the mountains of Central Equatorial Africa and contains notches grouped into sets of prime numbers. Many scholars believe that this bone was used as a tool to solve math problems.

Prime numbers are natural numbers greater than 1 that only have two factors, 1 and itself. The first few prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and 19. Numbers that are not prime numbers are called composite numbers. All composite numbers can be written as a product of prime numbers. For example, the composite number 42 = 2 x 3 x 7. Prime numbers have applications in Biology, encryption, computer hardware, and many other areas.

We Are All Mathematicians

If we want children to see themselves as mathematicians, we need to disrupt stereotypes and help children to understand that we are all mathematicians.

Mathematicians are people who:

• Use math to solve everyday problems and puzzles

• Understand the importance of and appreciate the beauty of mathematics

• Recognize and appreciate all contributions to mathematics

• ​Make informed decisions and contributing fully to their own lives and to today’s competitive global community

• Adapt to changes and synthesizing new ideas

• Work both independently and collaboratively to creatively approach challenges

• Communicate effectively

• Think critically and creatively and see connections to other disciplines beyond mathematics

(Mathematics Curriculum Context)

There are many picture books and stories that we can read to learn more about who we see as mathematicians, including:

• Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo by Helaine Becker

• The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague by Julia Finley Mosca

• Maryam’s Magic: The Story of Mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani by Megan Reid

• Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton

• The World Is Not a Rectangle: A Portrait of Architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter
  

For information about how to read these books and many more online, please visit the Sora eBooks page on the YRDSB website.

Celebrating the Many Global Contributions to Mathematics

Throughout human history, people from many cultures and societies have contributed to the continuously developing understanding of math. As a part of each monthly newsletter, one of these many significant contributions will be shared in celebration of how diverse ways of knowing have shaped our mathematics today.

Did you know that instead of using a base 10 system like we do today, the Mesopotamians (encompassed present day Iraq and Kuwait) used a base 60 number system? They passed this system on to ancient Egyptians who used it to divide a circle into 360 degrees and, over 6000 years ago, even created a 360-day calendar.

Different cultures have used different bases for their number systems such as 10, 20 and 60. Computers use a base 2 system called binary.