Topics: Starter | Arithmetic | Money

• Transum,
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• As well as the mathematical skills required to calculate the amount these loans actually cost there is also another learning objective associated with this activity. Young people should develop a sense of what interest means and what the consequences of borrowing money are. Fixed and variable rates of interest can be difficult to comprehend and many people find themselves borrowing more than they can afford to pay back. It is an important aspect of the Maths Teacher’s job to help students develop a healthy attitude towards personal loans and to equip them with the numeracy skills to make good judgments.
• Chris Smith, Bushenyi, Uganda
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• An excellent starter for the year one students at this Primary Teachers' College in Western Uganda. I selected the 14 weakest for this group, on basis of their O level results. They found the starter a challenge, even when they had understood the words. Class sizes are between 55 and 70, so identifying and helping the weakest, the strongest, not to mention the ones in the middle, is a challenge. (I am running evening tutorials with my personal modem, no internet at college.).
• Rachel, Melbourne
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• My class and I had a debate on what the answer was for Rosie. Most people said the answer was $5,100 and I said it was $5,120, as you times the previous month to get the amount for the next month. For some reason they said that you add all the previous months to $2,560 to get $5,100. I said that you multiple $2,560 times two to get $5,120 as it says you double to amount from the previous month. The grammar in that problem was not clear enough.

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