The Victorian Maths Challenge is now open and we are encouraging families with children in Years 5 to 8 to join in the fun.
The Challenge, which runs until 29 November this year, provides a range of hands-on, open-ended and interactive activities that promote problem solving. Whether it’s erecting a paper tower in the Eureka Challenge, making estimations in the Paper Planes Challenge or building and keeping a boat afloat in the Titanic Challenge, there is a challenge to interest everyone in the family.
With eight exciting challenges to choose from, each with videos and instructions to help families succeed, it’s easy to get started. Each challenge has been designed to provide a relevant industry and careers context and links to the Victorian Curriculum.
The Challenge aims to increase confidence and engagement in mathematics by encouraging families to explore and discuss maths concepts every day. Family participation in learning is one of the most accurate predictors of a child’s success in school and beyond.
Families can take on as many of the challenges as they like and share their experiences online, through photos, video or personal stories.
By encouraging families to participate in The Victorian Maths Challenge, school leaders and teachers can help show parents/carers that maths today is more than learning by rote, and is about trying and applying a range of strategies when approaching maths tasks.
Schools could support participation by:
- launching the Challenge in a Family Maths Night
- advertising the Challenge in a school newsletter
- hosting after-school parent maths sessions
- using Challenge resources
- suggesting Challenge activities for students’ homework.
Schools could also encourage families to share some of their educational, active and fun experiences at a celebration event during/after the Challenge’s final week.
The Victorian Maths Challenge schools section has been created in partnership with the Mathematical Association of Victoria, who will moderate the site.
For more information about the Challenge or to get started, see: www.education.vic.gov.au/vmc
