Build strong mathematical thinkers — without adding more worksheets.

Margin Maths is a low-paper maths routine designed for Years 3–4, aligned to the Australian Curriculum v9. Each Margin Maths Thinking Strip provides a clear scaffold that prompts students to analyse a problem, show working, justify their thinking, and check their answer — all alongside their existing maths tasks.

Instead of completing a full worksheet, students use a Thinking Strip next to any maths activity, problem, or investigation to make their reasoning visible.

✨ What’s Included

• 13 ready-to-use Margin Maths Thinking Strips
  – Carefully written for Years 3–4 maths concepts and curriculum language
• 1 editable Thinking Strip
  – Adjust wording, add school-specific language, or tailor prompts to your unit
• Print-friendly design
  – One page can be cut into multiple strips for low-paper classroom use

🧠 How Margin Maths Works

Each Thinking Strip guides students through a consistent maths process:

• UNDERSTAND – Identify what the problem is asking and what information matters
• SOLVE – Show working clearly using numbers, diagrams, or models
• EXPLAIN – Explain the strategy used and why it works
• CHECK – Decide if the answer is reasonable and verify it
• EXTEND – Try another method or create a similar problem

This structure supports reasoning, strategy choice, and mathematical communication while keeping lessons efficient and focused.

👩‍🏫 Perfect For

• Daily maths warm-ups or wrap-ups
• Problem-solving and reasoning lessons
• Maths journals and workbooks
• Small group instruction or intervention
• Fast finishers and extension tasks
• Teachers wanting thinking support without extra marking

❤️ Why Teachers Love Margin Maths

✔ Encourages deep thinking without extra worksheets
✔ Reinforces consistent problem-solving routines
✔ Supports student explanations and justifications
✔ Easy to reuse across strands and topics
✔ Aligned to Australian Curriculum v9 expectations