Dear Parent:
Over the next week, your child will be learning about probability. Understanding probability is essential in many areas of mathematics. In this chapter, your child will be learning to use simple probability language, such as impossible, unlikely, likely, and certain. We will investigate possible outcomes of simple events, such as spinning a spinner, and make predictions about what will happen in simple probability situations. Playing games that involve chance is one way to explore probability. As well, your child will look at the possibility of being able to collect free offers in products such as cereal.
Throughout this time, you and your child can do some activities such as:
• Your child can make a list of events that might or might not happen at home one evening, and then describe the probability of each event using impossible, certain, likely, or unlikely, and explain his or her choice of probability words.
• Your child can look through your family’s board games for any that use a spinner, and then play the game(s).
• Your child can look through your family’s board games for any that use a spinner, and then predict the probability of spinning each section on each spinner in 40 spins. Your child can spin the spinner to check his or her predictions.
• Your child might make a spinner for doing chores around the house, use the spinner to decide which chore is to be done next, and keep a tally chart of the results for a week.
• Your child can look around the house, especially in the kitchen, to find products that offer free give-away items, and then make a list of the products and the types and numbers of items that can be collected.
You may want to visit the Nelson Web site at www.mathk8.nelson.com for more suggestions to help your child learn mathematics and develop a positive attitude toward learning mathematics, and for books that relate children’s literature to probability. Also check the Web site for links to other Web sites that provide online tutorials, math problems, and brainteasers.
If your child is using Nelson Mathematics 3 Workbook, pages 98 to 103 belong to Chapter 13. There is a page of practice questions for each of the 4 lessons in the chapter and a 2-page Test Yourself at the end. If your child requires assistance, you can refer to the At-Home Help box on each Workbook page.
PS: End of chapter test Wednesday 04/22/2015
JAK
