Take one Scottish Gnome, add in some counting fun, sprinkle a few shapes and into the mix throw a robot who is learning to count and dance. You now have the recipe for the perfect interactive maths workshop for early years. Jo Hall and her character JoJo Gnome have been travelling around Scotland delivering 5 special Maths Story Challenge Workshops for Maths Week Scotland 2022.
The main story in the workshop is all about counting, shapes and creativity. It also introduces a new character to JoJo Gnome’s world, Ella The Elf. She is great at maths, loves music and she also wears cochlear implants. The character was a co creation between Jo and the children from Hamilton School for the Deaf, a project that came about with Creative Scotland funding. You can find out all about Ella in this film that the young people made:
If you haven't had a visit from JoJo Gnome, you don’t need to miss out on the JoJo story fun - the main story, JoJo Gnome & the Maths Challenge, is available to use on JoJo Gnome’s number page during Maths Week Scotland and beyond, and there is a BSL version of the story too. All of the shape stories the young people have created for Maths Week Scotland can be found on the JoJo Gnome website too, here's a taster of the Circle Story from Rockfield Primary in Oban, and the Square Story from Robert Smillie Memorial Primary School.
If you want to have a go yourself, there is a challenge for you to be able to finish off the story with your own ending. You can email Jo Hall on jojognome@gmail.com to request a copy of the free PDF of teacher’s notes, with follow on activities. The story and some other maths challenges can also be found on episode #33 of the JoJo Gnome story podcast.
Jo Hall is a former BBC Education producer and used to write for Cbeebies on programmes such as Balamory, Nina & the Neurons, Me Too and Molly & Mack. She now writes and produces the JoJo Gnome Story Podcast, packed with story telling and the opportunity for early years children to create their own stories. She also delivers story workshops in schools and nurseries. For more information check out the JoJo Gnome website.
We love a good dice game! If you travel with some dice in your pocket, you'll never be bored, there's so much you can do with them. Today's game Threes Away requires five dice - you'll also need to think strategically, and it encourages number recognition too.
