Numeracy Home Strategies

Choose one Basic Numeracy Strategy and two-four

Specific Number Sense/Problem Solving Strategies.
Basic Numeracy Strategies
Talk about math in your everyday life.
Be positive about math
Encourage your child to explain what they learned in
math/numeracy class
Encourage your child to ask questions in class

Numeracy Home Strategies

Number Sense

(Students understanding of numbers. What

they mean, understand their relationships with one another,
numbers in real world situations)

Kindergarten to Grade 2
Listen to your child count forwards and backwards from
different starting points.
Discover together how numbers or digits are used around
the house and neighborhood (microwave, TV, telephone,
speed signs, addresses)
Play a number version of I Spy (Eg. I spy something that
has the number 9 on it or I spy something in this room that
there are 4 of).
Sing songs and read stories that include numbers - have
your child notice the number words.
Game: Higher or Lower- Think of a number and have your
child guess using your clues of higher or lower until they
reach the number. (If needed guide child through phrases
like one more, two less, etc.)
Have your child guess the number of cookies in a cookie jar
(Estimation).
Practice one digit (0-9) addition and subtraction (flashcards,
verbally)
Have your child count everyday objects using skip counting
(counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s etc.) - Pairs of shoes at the
front door etc.
Play card games and board games that involve numbers (or
the use of a die) as a family.
Even or odd Numbers- Have child explain what these mean
and show examples. (rolling a die, flipping/sorting cards)
Play Broken Calculator: For example, pretend that the
number 5 does not work on a calculator. Ask your child to
make the numbers 5, 15, 50 etc.
Card Game: War- 2 player game, each person flips one card
and have your child say which is higher, lower or equal.

Numeracy Home Strategies

Card Game: Flip card- 2 player game, each person flips one
card and have the child state whether the card is even or
odd.
Have child count money (nickels and dimes) up to 100 cents
Have child understand 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Who won the game? Who
came in 1st?

Grade 3 to Grade 4
Listen to your child count forwards and backwards from
different starting points.
Have your child count everyday objects using skip counting
(counting by 5s, 10s, 100s, 3s, 4s, 25s etc.)
Have your child practice addition and subtraction of 1,2,3
and 4 digit numbers
Practice one-digit multiplication facts (0-9)
Practice division with 1-digit divisor and 2-digit dividend (Eg.
56 8 = 7)
Cook with your child. Discuss various ways of measuringfractions, doubling, halving.
1) Have child compare ingredients (measurements). Which
ingredients are equal, less than, greater than.
Play card games and board games that involve numbers as a
family.
Read books with your child and talk about time, money,
numbers etc.
Talk about the math that you use in your everyday life (Eg.
when buying groceries, baking, etc.)
Play number games - choose a number between 1 to 1000,
provide your child with a range (Eg. its between 250 and
400) and have them guess the number. Is it higher or
lower? Is it more than less than?

Numeracy Home Strategies

Have child estimate the number of people in a store, the
number of cars in a parking lot, etc.
Practice adding and subtracting two-digit numbers
Have your child read aloud three and four digit numerals (Eg.
523- five hundred twenty three)
Relate decimals to fractions using coins (Eg. Quarters: 0.25
or 25/100)
Practice adding and subtracting decimals. Use coins for a
visual (3 quarters subtract 2 quarters 0.75 0.25)

Grade 5 to Grade 6
Listen to your child count forwards and backwards from different
starting points.
Give your child an imaginary budget to spend at his or her
favorite store (you can use a flyer or actually go to the store).
Without writing down the amounts, have your child choose items
to purchase and use estimation to stay within the budget). You
can make this more difficult by adding in tax.
Ask your child to estimate the amount of groceries (fruit,
vegetables, meat, bread, pet food, etc.) that your family will need
for the week. Ask, Why do you think that amount will be
needed? At the end of the week, have your child count the
number actually used.
Have your child count everyday objects using skip counting
(counting by 5s, 10s, 100s, 3s, 4s, 25s etc.)
Practice two-digit by two-digit multiplication (Eg. 11 12 = 132)
Practice multiplication by 10s, 100s, 1000s
(Eg. 5 100 = 500, 5 1000 = 5000)
Practice division with 1-digit divisor and 3-digit dividend (Eg. 120
3 = 40)

Numeracy Home Strategies

Cook with your child. Discuss various ways of measuringfractions, doubling, halving.
1) Have child compare ingredients (measurements). Which
ingredients are equal, less than, greater than.
Ask child to write different types of coins as a decimal amount.
(Eg. Quarter is 0.25)
Relate decimals to fractions using coins (Eg. Quarter- 0.25 or
25/100)
Order decimals on a number line or using coins. (Eg. 0.1, 0.2,
0.3)
(Eg. Nickel, Dime, Quarter 0.05, 0.1, 0.25)
Practice adding and subtracting decimals. Use coins for a visual
(3 quarters subtract 2 quarters 0.75 0.25)
Ask child to tell you examples of prime (can be divided evenly
only by 1 and itself) and composite numbers (can be divided
evenly by more than 1 and itself).
Help child understand percentage. Compare percentages on test
marks, which is higher or lower?
Place integers on a number line. (Eg. -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3)
Practice multiplication and division of decimal numbers (0.25
0.25)
Practice solving equations using order of operations
1) BEDMAS (Brackets, Exponents (Dont need to know),
Division, Multiplication, Addition, Subtraction)
2) Eg. 5 (3 + 1) First brackets (3 + 1) = 4Then multiply
5 4 = 20

Grade 7 and up
Practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of
decimals.
Have your child show their understanding of percentages,
fractions and decimals. For example, when eating a pie or
pizza have your child describe the fraction, percentage or
decimal of pizza eaten.
Practice addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of
integers (Eg. -5 + 4 = -1)

Numeracy Home Strategies

Have your child recall numbers that are perfect squares (Eg.
4,9,16, etc.)
Have your child solve square roots ( 81 = 9)
Practice solving equations using order of operations
1) BEDMAS (Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication,
Addition, Subtraction)
2) Eg. 5 (3 + 1) First brackets (3 + 1) = 4Then
multiply 5 4 = 20
Have your child calculate the rate of fuel per kilometers that
youve driven.
Have your child estimate the amount of GST that they will
have to pay on a specific item in the store.
If your child has a job, help them fill out their tax forms and
discuss savings and debt.

Problem Solving

(Students working through detailed problems

to reach a solution). Problem solving requires and builds on their
depth and understanding of concepts. Learning through problem
solving should be a large focus of math at all grade levels.

Numeracy Home Strategies

Kindergarten to Grade 2
Steps for Problem Solving
1) Understand the problem. (What are you trying to find?
What information are you given? Are you able to restate
the problem in your own words?)
2) Devise a plan. (Guess and check, make a table, work
backwards, look for a pattern)
3) Carry out the plan.
4) Look back. (Check the results, is the answer
reasonable? Was there an easier way to solve? Does the
answer fit the problem?)
Discuss ways to sort objects (clothing, kitchen utensils, etc.)
and use these ways to organize a room or items in the
house.
Involve your child in using numbers to solve problems and
make everyday decisions (Eg. We have 2 tomatoes, but
need 4 to make our sauce for dinner. How many will we
need to buy? or If you are making $5 per hour, how many
hours of work will you need to do in order to buy the $40
item that you want?)
Help your child work through simple everyday life problems.
For example, there seems to be a traffic jam on the road
ahead - what should we do? Do we have time to drive
around? Is there another road that we could take? Etc.
Help your child identify problems
Discuss the problems for children as they arise (What is/isnt
working and why?)
Encourage child to provide more information about the
problem
Give your child time to come up with their solution (If
students have been given ways to solve it then it becomes a
practice not a problem).

Numeracy Home Strategies

Grade 3 to Grade 4
Steps for Problem Solving
1) Understand the problem. (What are you trying to find?
What information are you given? Are you able to restate
the problem in your own words?)
2) Devise a plan. (Guess and check, make a table, work
backwards, look for a pattern)
3) Carry out the plan.
4) Look back. (Check the results, is the answer
reasonable? Was there an easier way to solve? Does the
answer fit the problem?)
Play the game likely, not likely, or never on a car ride to
help your child understand probability (Eg. We will go
swimming outside in February, We will see a tiger awake at
the zoo, etc.)
Ask your child to pretend that the number 8 key on the
calculator is broken. Ask how he or she can make the
number 18 appear on the screen without the 8 key (E.: 20-2
or 15+3). This can be made more challenging by varying
the number your child must show.
Have your child survey the family about an upcoming event
(Eg. dinner out, pizza night, movie night, etc.) and have
them report back about preferences and make a decision
based on those preferences.
Encourage your child to describe the problem. (Eg. Show/tell
me what the question is asking)
Give your child time to come up with their solution (If
students have been given ways to solve it then it becomes a
practice not a problem).

Numeracy Home Strategies

Grade 5 to Grade 6
Steps for Problem Solving
o Understand the problem. (What are you trying to find?
What information are you given? Are you able to restate
the problem in your own words?)
o Devise a plan. (Guess and check, make a table, work
backwards, look for a pattern)
o Carry out the plan.
o Look back. (Check the results, is the answer
reasonable? Was there an easier way to solve? Does the
answer fit the problem?)
Look for situations involving proportional thinking in real life.
Have your child explain his or her thinking (Eg: Gabriella
promises to help her sister to do her paper route each day.
Her sister says shell give her one quarter of her profits. Is
this a good deal for Gabriella? Explain why.)
Plan a family trip (real or wished for)calculate distance,
cost, etc.
Have a conversation with your child to get his or her ideas
about the healthy use of leisure time. Have your child
collect some data about your own familys leisure time (Eg.
indoor vs. outdoor activity, amount of time spent of games,
sports, visiting, walking, screen-time, etc.) Have your child

Numeracy Home Strategies

report back to the family with the data and any
recommendations that they have.
Encourage your child to elaborate on the problem
Encourage your child to explain the problem in their own
words
Give your child time to come up with their solution (If
students have been given ways to solve it then it becomes a
practice not a problem).

Grade 7 and up
Steps for Problem Solving
1) Understand the problem
2) Describe any barriers (Have child be aware of any
possible constraints that may prevent them from
achieving the answer)
3) Identify various solutions (visual image, guess and
check, manipulatives, work backwards, patterns, etc.)
4) Try out a solution (Work through a strategy until it
becomes evident that its not working)
5) Evaluate the results (assess individual problem solving
skills and solutions)
Talk with your child about an interest she or he has or a
current issue in the news. What opinions, thinking and
questions does your child have? What might your child like
to find out more about? Where could they gather this
information?
Encourage your child to elaborate on the problem

Numeracy Home Strategies

Encourage your child to explain the problem in their own
words
Give your child time to come up with their solution (If
students have been given ways to solve it then it becomes a
practice not a problem).