What We Have Learnt in Term 3 Week 5

Mathematics

1. Numbers to 40: Adding 3 Numbers

- Making ten to add 3 numbers: This is actually a mental calculation strategy as it is easier to calculate mentally when you 'make ten' first. Pupils have to be very good at 'making ten' first before they can master this strategy.

Step 1:

'Making ten'

1+9=10

2+8=10

3+7=10

4+6=10

5+5=10

Step 2:

9+ 7 + 1 = 10 + 7 = 17

8+8+8= 8+2+4+2+8 = 10 +4+10 = 24

2. Part-Whole Model

This is a problem solving strategy to help pupils solve word problems. I cannot stress how important this is in helping them understand and solve word problems at a higher level (2-step word problems and more) later on. Pupils have to understand that parts make up a whole before they can master this strategy. Please note that some pupils can easily identify the parts and whole in a word problem but others need to be practice this strategy until it becomes easy to identify the parts and whole.

Step 1:

Identify the parts and the whole in the word problem. For example:

There are 30 students in Class 1.6. 14 of them are girls. How many boys are there?

Whole: total sum of students : 30

Parts: Boys : 14 , Girls : ?

Step 2:

Draw a part-whole model. This is a basically a bar which represents the whole and that has been subdivided to represent the different parts. Please try to encourage pupils to draw in proportion to the number they are representing. (Please note: this may seem tedious but drawing accurate representations help them to visualise the word problems and again is key in helping them solve word-problems at a higher level in the future).

Common mistake:

This mistake shows that the pupil does not understand that 40 is the whole and should be represented by the entire bar model. It is not a part and hence should not be part of the bar model.

*Please note that this week we will be doing comparison models which requires pupils to draw two separate bar models to represent and compare different quantities.

English

1. Grammar: Subject-Verb-Agreement

A singular noun (S) or a plural noun (P) should be followed by the correct verb.

Grammar rule:

Singular noun + verb(s)

Plural noun + verb

The boy likes to eat sweets. The boys like to eat sweets.

(S) verb(s) (P) verb

Exception to the rule:

The singular pronoun 'I' and 'You'

I like to eat sweets. You like to eat sweets.

(S) verb (S) verb

*I find it effective to ask pupils to highlight/underline the nouns so they know what verb to use.

Please note: The use of the correct verb comes with consistent practice. Pupils may find it confusing at first because they think that plural nouns should be followed by an s because plural nouns have the letter s e.g. table(s), chair(s). That's why I find it useful to differentiate nouns and verbs with them.

2. Grammar: Simple past tense or present tense

Contextual clues such as yesterday, last night/year/week indicates that you must use the past tense.

Example:

Yesterday was an unlucky day for me.

(clue) (past)

Contextual clues such as every day, today, this/year/week indicates that you must use the present tense.

Example:

I go to school by bus every day.

(present) (clue)

2. Grammar: Simple past tense or present tense

Grammar rule:

Add an '-ed' or a '-d' to a verb to change it to the past form.

Example 1: Add '-d' if the verb ends with 'e'.

Present Past

skate skated

die died

dance danced

Example 2:

Present Past

play played

bowl bowled

shout shouted

Exceptions to the rule:

Example 3:

Present Past

cut cut

come came

go went

Please feel free to clarify anything by texting or e-mailing me.