How Real-World Connections Help You Teach Literacy and Maths

Both English and Mathematics take up the biggest time allocation within a typical school week, which is around 50% of teaching time for students within Australia. This is approximately more than 12 hours in a working week. English is the third most spoken language in the world after Mandarin and Spanish. Mathematics can act as a universal language; studied in every country around the world. Everyday activities are underpinned by English and Mathematical knowledge including budgeting for a week’s worth of groceries, cooking a recipe, measuring and counting items, identifying features of shapes at home, reading directions, communicating effectively and the list goes on.

To engage our students in a highlight effective manner it is crucial that real world connections are made in each lesson we teach. A meaningful experience enhances students’ academic and personal development, hence the importance of educators demonstrating the relevance of subjects and providing students with a vision of what becomes possible when they gain the required knowledge and skills. Connecting math to students’ interests is one of the best ways to bring subjects to life and spark interest in their minds.

Do you need support relating your lessons to everyday life? Finding the best teacher resources to help you connect math and english to the real world has never been easier! Check out the Resources for Teaching website to gain access to their printables and digital lessons that enhance your students problem-solving, reasoning and literacy skills to boost their real-world thinking in a fun and effective manner.

Real-World Related Math Resources



1.2D & 3D Shapes in Real Life: Our entire world is made up of shapes! This 30 slide PDF presentation is perfect for applying knowledge of 2D and 3D shapes to everyday life. Students will be surprised how many shapes they can identify within objects, locations and environments! This can be played as a quiz at the start or end of a lesson to check students understanding. Includes plenty of stunning and clear images to engage children during maths lessons based on geometry. (https://resourcesforteaching.com.au/all-resources/2d-3d-shapes-in-real-life/)

2.Types of Graphs Posters: Older Students: These vivid posters/ display cards are perfect for year 3, 4, 5 & 6 students who are learning how to collect, interpret and organise data in math lessons. All these posters are fantastic for using during a class discussion to differentiate between different graphs by looking at the physical characteristics and then interpreting the information A fantastic resource that helped my students understand how to read, interpret and create their own graphs! Highly recommend.

Real World Related English Resources



1) Types of Words Display Posters: These vibrant posters are useful for students in year 1 and year 2 learning about different types of words. You can present the information to your class on a smart board or print out the posters and create a colourful and informative display in your classroom! Each poster includes a definition and example of each type of word focusing on: nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, conjunctions, prepositions, interjections pronouns and articles (9 posters). These posters include plenty of visual illustrations and colour coding for younger students. (https://resourcesforteaching.com.au/all-resources/types-of-words-classroom-display-posters/)

2) Elements of Visual Literacy Posters: 11 bright posters that come with images and an explanation of each of the elements of visual literacy. Perfect for students in upper primary grades to understand the meaning behind the illustrations they see in literature. Display these posters around your classroom or use as a tool for students. (https://resourcesforteaching.com.au/all-resources/elements-of-visual-literacy-posters/)

If you’re searching for teacher resources websites, be sure to check out the Resources for Teaching store for easily accessible, downloadable material to use for your next lesson! They have plenty of useful and helpful teaching resources Australia that many teachers find easy to incorporate into their lessons that support the learning outcomes of their students.

The author is a writer who often publishes articles on health and education for their readers online. She also manages a website that offers a range of teaching resources online. Visit https://resourcesforteaching.com.au/ for more information.

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