Week commencing 1st March
This week in maths we are looking at symmetry, pattern and counting the faces on 3D shapes.
Symmetry is an interesting one! You will find that your child can either ‘just see it’ with no real issues, or ‘just can’t see it’ and finds it really difficult to see and understand symmetry. It’s all around their visual processing skills and visual perception. A little bit like map reading or learning a dance or art/ DT. It’s not really based on their maths ability at all. ‘Seeing’ lines of symmetry can be taught, so that’s what Monday and Tuesday focusses on. If your child doesn’t see the symmetry automatically, there are strategies to help them to see the symmetry such as using grids or mirrors. There are also some links to some symmetry games on Topmarks below for some extra practice. See how you get on!
Wednesday and Thursday are about sorting shapes and making patterns with shape and Friday is about counting and recognising the faces on 3D shapes. Again, this will rely on some visual perception. Can they imagine that cuboid or pyramid in their head and ‘see’ the faces in their minds eye?
It might be nice to go around your house and do a ‘shape hunt’ to see if you can find examples of each of the 3D shapes so that they have something concrete to hold and then you can do the activities more practically.
As usual, the fluency sheets and the true and false reasoning sheets are below to be completed at some point during the week. Mathletics will be set and TT Rockstars and Hit the Button are always there to continue to build up their fluency in times tables and number bonds.
BBC Bitesize – What makes a shape symmetrical – video
Symmetry matching games – Topmarks
Symmetry sorting games – Topmarks
3D shapes song – Here are the 3D shapes that I know.