New Maya Maths Challenge for Children
I’ve added an exciting new maths program to my website — a free Maya Maths Challenge designed for children of all levels, from beginners to advanced learners. You don’t need to be teaching the Maya in history to benefit from their number system. It’s a fantastic way to deepen pupils’ understanding of place value and numeration in maths.
Curriculum requirement for Maths:
The national curriculum requires children from year 4 to understand the concept of zero, place value, and be able to read Roman numerals. This challenge supports those goals while introducing the Maya’s unique x20 number system.
Teaching suggestion:
Try using the Maya Maths Challenge in class to:
- Explore the concept of zero — the Maya were one of only two ancient cultures to invent it.
- Compare the Maya x20 system with our x10, helping pupils strengthen their understanding of multiplication and place value.
- Highlight how different civilisations developed effective, yet distinct, methods of calculation.
Additional Resource: Maya Maths Worksheets
I’ve also created a new digital download resource, perfect for classroom use. These worksheets explain how the Maya wrote numbers under twenty and in the thousands. Guiding pupils through solving Maya calculations.
Recommended Age Range:
- UK: Key Stage 2
- US: Grades 2–7
- Australia: Grades 3–5
Leave a Reply