Why do it?

Simple maths is everywhere. It is:

  • finding things that go together
  • organising things into groups
  • using ideas about shape, colour, size, number and patterns.

How to do it

You can play games around the house where children group things together — matching socks and shoes, or sorting forks and spoons, as well as sorting books, blocks or bottle tops.

You can collect things from around the house:

  • cards
  • magazine pictures
  • photos
  • You can go for walks to gather items that are good for matching and sorting:
  • shells
  • leaves
  • twigs
  • pebbles
  • driftwood.

Using more reo Māori

Te reo Māori English
Cards
Picture
Photograph
Shell
Leaf
Twig
Stone
Driftwood
Square
Circle
Oval
Triangle
Rectangle
Ngā tae Colours
Red
Yellow
Green
Blue
White
Black
Ngā tau Numbers
Size
Pattern
Shoe
Sock
Fork
Spoon
Ngā rākau Blocks
E hia ngā mea? How many things?
Tokohia ngā tangata? How many people?
Kotahi te pukapuka There is one book
E rima ngā pune There are five spoons
Rite tonu, ōrite Same
Different
Sort
He aha te tae? What colour is it?
Te tae ōrite Same colour
Ōrite te āhua Similar in shape
E hia ō hū? How many shoes have you?
E rua ōku hū I have two shoes
E hia ō tau? How old are you?
E toru ōku tau I am three years old
Rite tonu te tae o ēnei mea These things are the same colour