Kiwis prove better at maths, again 

Drats, students from Tkkm O Te Ara Rima, New Zealand, have beaten hundreds of thousands of other students across Australia and New Zealand, coming first place in the annual Matific Games.

Tkkm O Te Ara Rima primary school was one of thousands of primary schools who took part in the Trans-Tasman competition which ran from 14th August to 20th August using Matific's gamified online maths teaching resource.

In fact all top places were taken by NZ schools;

• Tkkm O Te Ara Rima, New Zealand – 1st place
• Mission Heights Primary School, New Zealand – 2nd place
• Kaniere School, New Zealand – 3rd place

Matific’s Education Expert, Brent Hughes, says: “Maths is still a source of anxiety for many students and mathematics education experts are all advocating for big changes to the way that we teach and engage children with maths. Our concept behind developing the Matific Games, was to help get more kids excited in maths by making it enjoyable and inviting, aiding to reduce kids’ maths anxiety but also to improve their math scores. It’s been fantastic to see more schools than ever across Australia and New Zealand get involved with the competition this year.

“Our aim with the games is to help improve students’ ability to master necessary topics, from addition and long division to fractions and primary level statistics. The importance of engaging students in mathematical experiences that go beyond simple calculations is crucial. It’s more about meaningful mathematical experiences that make students question, wonder and engage,” continues Hughes.

The Matific Games is based around participation by students and teachers using the Matific education resource.  During the competition, students answered over 10 million questions in just under two weeks. Winning schools, students and teachers will share a prize pool of over $50,000.

A survey undertaken with schools using the Matific resource, and involved with The Games, showcased that feedback was hugely positive:

• Over 70% of teachers said that their students are less anxious about maths after playing Matific
• After using Matific for only three days 94% of teachers already said that they would recommend Matific
• 90% of students said that they want to keep learning and practicing maths with Matific

A former primary school maths teacher, Brent Hughes said: “We’re seeing a real attitudinal shift for Years 1-8 kids regarding their approach to learning maths; the fact that over 70% of teachers said that their students are less anxious about maths after playing Matific, shows just how much we are helping to change children’s attitudes towards maths in a positive way.”