- Definition
Tools" are things like blocks, apps, calculators, or computers that help your child understand math ideas better.
Using counting blocks as a tool to show that 2 blocks and 3 more blocks makes 5 blocks altogether.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Math tools are like your building blocks or crayons — they are things you can hold and use to help you show your math ideas.
Ask your child: How can you show me five using these blocks?
Common mix-up: Kids may think using fingers or blocks to count is cheating. Using tools is a smart and powerful way to see and understand numbers.
Examples
- Using your fingers as a tool to count to ten.
- Using a drawing of circles as a tool to solve a story problem.
tools is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
+135 more mentions across the curriculum
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
