- Thursday 03 October 2019
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It can be difficult to make maths interesting, especially if you’re not sure where to look for new ideas. Teachers today are equipped with more tools than you might realise. It’s no longer just chalk screeching on the board, but instead there are countless options and ideas available online. Keeping your students engaged is vital to every lesson, so how do you keep them interested and hold their attention spans long enough for them to grasp essential mathematics concepts?
Include group and individual riddles and games
Riddles and games can be fun ways for students to challenge their thinking and stay engaged in the lessons. We previously recommended our favourite games for mental maths.
Create your own riddles as a class or solve one of the following:
- If it took 6 people 9 hours to build a barn, how long would it take 12 people to build the same barn? None, the barn is already built!
- If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number is this? Zero.
- You are given 3 positive numbers. You can add these numbers and multiply them together. The result you get will be the same. Which are the numbers? 1, 2 and 3.
- Have a look at more riddles here.
Add humour to the classroom
Make the classroom a happier environment and get students excited about learning by including jokes and humour in the lesson. Students still exercise their brains and have a laugh at the same time.
Try our top five maths jokes:
- Are monsters good at maths? Not unless you Count Dracula.
- Why was the maths book sad? It had too many problems!
- Why did the girl wear glasses during maths class? It improved di-vision.
- What do ducks use for maths? A QUACK-ulator!
- What did the triangle say to the circle? You’re pointless.
Get students to come up with their own jokes, or explore more options.
Use the resources provided in The Maths box
Another great resource for engaging students in their learning is The Maths box. Packed full of games, activities and engaging lesson plans, The Maths box will keep your students smiling as they solve each new problem.
It includes 75 unique activity maths cards, 75 answer cards for students to mark their work against and a comprehensive Teachers guide. Each activity card features bright and colourful images, game boards or instructions; with questions on the other side. Specifically written for the Australian Curriculum, The Maths box covers the three mathematical strands—Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability—as well as all sub-strands.
With its comprehensive teachers guide packed full of resources sheets, mini posters, templates and tracking sheets, The Maths box allows effective management of your time while students work independently.
It’s an affordable and efficient resource that is suitable for all ability levels across Years 1 to 6. The cards motivate and engage students while introducing or reinforcing topics.
See what other teachers are saying about The Maths box.
Shop The Maths box series here.
Are you currently using The Maths box in your classroom?
We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
View our full range of maths educational resources.