STREET MATHS NUMBER SPOTTING

SPOTTING THE TWO DIGIT RAINBOW NUMBERS FOR A THREE YEAR OLD

In the story of "Nineapple Pineapple and The Bad Threes" Mrs Noughtfear classifies all numbers as belonging to three lots of three pattern groups. When encouraging young children to recognise these patterns, it may be beneficial to explain that these descriptions are for the story, to avoid confusing children who have not been told the story.

Walking along the street, point out the numbers 11,22,33,44,55,66,77,88,99 and describe them as Rainbow Numbers. They are different from the other two digit numbers because they are mathematically equal reading forwards or backwards. They are palindromatic and should be easily recognisable by a three year old. "Look, Mummy there's another Rainbow Number."

They can be written down or photographed and taken home for examination. Encourage the child to put them in sequential order and draw a rainbow connecting each digit to demonstrate that there is an identical digit at each end of the rainbow. When a three year old can recognise these numbers and arrange them in sequential order, he or she will have mastered the eleven timestables...to be continued..

NUMBER SPOTTING FOR AN EIGHT YEAR OLD

Drive along the road and look for cars with three digit number plates that are not rainbow numbers, e.g. 238 not 232. In the story these numbers are described as Wonky Numbers because they are not mathematically equal reading either way. They are the opposite of Rainbow Numbers.

Another pattern group is the Good Numbers, i.e. the nine timestables 9, 18, 27 etc. Numbers that are not part of the nine timestables are described as Bad Numbers. So an eight year old may be able to notice easily that a number is of either a Rainbow or Wonky Pattern, as well as being of a Good or a Bad Number Pattern. Notice that all the digits in Good Numbers add up to nine, or a multiple of nine. The digits of the Bad Number Pattern do not add up to nine or a multiple of nine.

Now whenever a Wonky three digit number on a number plate is noticed, e.g. 532, subtract from it the same number backwards and notice the answer of 297 has the Good Number nine in the middle and the digits either side add up to nine. Now add this number to itself backwards and notice the answer is 1089, once again a Good Number pattern has been created.

Try this with all Wonky three digit numbers. Whenever the first digit is lower than the last, e.g. 235, reverse the number to avoid a negative result. Also when the result is 99, treat it as a three digit number 099. Notice the continual answer of 1089 for all three digit Wonky Numbers when performing theses steps. Also notice the square root of 1089 is 33.These are The Bad Threes in the story. When an eight year old masters all the possible combinations that add up to 1089, and arranges them in sequential order, he or she will have mastered the 99 timestables. That is, the first Rainbow Number 11 multiplied by the first Good Number 9. to be continued...