Deeper engagement activities for engaging families in mathematics

This individual engagement activity is intended to provide teachers with a stimulus for thinking about the use of games to engage families in students' mathematical thinking and learning. The activity offers a suitable game to try with suggested ideas about evaluating its usefulness in engaging with families.  A teacher could consider ways of collecting feedback from families about their experience with playing games. Finally, this engagement activity draws attention to the importance of reflecting on the game's potential to facilitate a rich mathematical experience for families to share.

Stimulus - approximately (15 minutes)

Read the article by James Russo, Toby Russo and Leicha Bragg.

• Russo, J., Russo, T., & Bragg, L. A. (2018). Five principles of educationally rich mathematical games. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 23(3), 30-34.

Read the article by Sandra Herbert and Robyn Pierce.

• Herbert, S., & Pierce, R. (2004). Gifted are lifted higher: an exploration of the development of higher order thinking skills of gifted students playing strategy games. TalentEd, 22(1), 22-30. 

Activity - approximately (1 hour, and ongoing)

Play a game, for example, Nine Men's Morris

Try out some other games and assess:

• the mathematical potential 
• engagement potential 
• clarity of instructions 
• ease of play. 

After playing a few games think about feedback that could be requested from families e.g. Describe a strategy used; What was the most challenging part of the game? What was something you (the family) learned or need to learn? 

Reflection

• From the Russo, Russo and Bragg articles, which of the five principles for educationally rich mathematical games do these games address?
  

This individual engagement activity is intended to provide teachers with a stimulus for thinking about the design of suitable take-home activities for families to experience together. The activity offers an article to provide a stimulus for considering how to create suitable open-ended tasks for families. Next, families trial the take-home activities and the teacher collects feedback over time about what families consider useful in the numeracy and maths take-home bags.

Stimulus - approximately (15 minutes)

Read the article by Tracey Muir.

• Muir, T., (2012). It's in the bag: Parental involvement in a numeracy at-home program.  Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(2) 27-33.

Activity - approximately (3 hours, and ongoing)

After reading the paragraph, brainstorm suitable take-home activities to create for numeracy and maths take-home bags. Draw on tasks from the Mathematics Curriculum Companion to include authentic open-ended tasks for effective differentiation.

You may wish to collaborate with your colleagues for ideas and to support each other. 

Create a set of numeracy and maths take-home bags. Consider what each bag will need to support families. We recommend including a family feedback form to assist in evaluating the effectiveness of the tasks. 

Enlist family volunteers to trial your numeracy and maths take-home bags for clarity, suitability and accessibility. 

Reflection

At the end of each week, review the family feedback forms:

• What mathematical concepts were parents noticing?
• What information from the feedback forms can I utilise in my mathematics lessons?

After a month, review the family feedback forms:

• What are the successes I am noticing?
• What changes can I make to improve this activity?
• What mathematical concepts will I focus when creating new take-home tasks for the bags?

Ensure you share ideas with families and provide additional ways for them to support their child's numeracy at home. Recommend the DET Birth to Level 10 Numeracy Guide - Numeracy at Home section website for inspiration. 

This team-based engagement activity is intended to leverage the power of working collaboratively with fellow teachers to consider the stimulus of the monograph regarding the role families' engagement with mathematics education can play in improving mathematical outcomes for students. The discussion builds on your shared reflections of the ideas outlined and your joint response to the provocations in developing an agreed plan of action.

Stimulus - approximately (15 minutes)

Read this Monograph and its accompanying resources. 

Activity - The improvement cycle (50 minutes +)

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers highlights the importance of school-home partnerships, particularly engaging with families in Standard 7. Reflect on the first provocation posed in the monograph which addresses the AITSL standard.

Consider what you and your school are currently doing to engage families in mathematics education. Within Evaluate and diagnose: What are the strengths and areas for improvement? 

• Share your reflections on the provocation with your colleagues. 
• Identify your common understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in your current practices with families. 
• What ideas for engaging families did your colleagues suggest that you would consider with your families?
  

Reflection

• Which ideas and strategies in the Monograph and resources stand out as most helpful for engaging families in mathematics?
• What is a new idea you would like to try?
• How can schools encourage families to engage in mathematics, and capitalise on support from home?
• What goal/s will you set as a school for engaging families in mathematics education?
  

From the monograph and resources, follow the improvement cycle to identify and agree on one activity your school could collectively trial collectively and develop and implement the plan.

Monitor progress and keep an anecdotal record of feedback from families and students.