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Climbing Maths

Maths in climbing: personal bests

Compare old and new results.

Quick answer

Maths in climbing: personal bests helps you compare how high you've climbed before with how high you're climbing now. You can use subtraction to see how much you've improved.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will be able to compare your old climbing scores with your new ones using subtraction to see how much you've improved. Success signs:
  • You can tell the difference between your old and new climbing heights
  • You can subtract to find how much you've climbed higher
  • You can record your climbing progress on a chart
  • You can explain how climbing helps you learn maths

Why this matters

Climbing helps you learn maths in a fun and physical way! When you climb, you're measuring how high you go, and you can compare your old heights with your new ones. This helps you see how much you've improved. It's like keeping a climbing diary where you write down your personal bests and use subtraction to see your progress. Climbing also helps with counting, measuring, and understanding how far you've come. It's not just about climbing up rocks – it's about using maths to track your journey and celebrate your growth.

How it works

To compare your climbing personal bests, follow these steps:
  1. Write down your old climbing height (like 3 metres)
  2. Write down your new climbing height (like 5 metres)
  3. Subtract the old height from the new height (5 - 3 = 2)
  4. Write down how much you've improved (2 metres)
You can also use a number line or a chart to help you see the difference. The bigger the number you get after subtracting, the more you've improved!

Examples you can see

Let's imagine you're climbing a rock wall. Here are some examples of how you can use maths to compare your personal bests: Example 1:
  • Old personal best: 2 metres
  • New personal best: 4 metres
  • Improvement: 4 - 2 = 2 metres
Example 2:
  • Old personal best: 5 metres
  • New personal best: 7 metres
  • Improvement: 7 - 5 = 2 metres
Example 3:
  • Old personal best: 3 metres
  • New personal best: 6 metres
  • Improvement: 6 - 3 = 3 metres
These examples show how you can use subtraction to see how much you've grown in your climbing skills.

Try it as a mini adventure

Let's go on a climbing adventure to practice comparing your personal bests! Adventure: The Rock Wall Challenge You're going to climb a rock wall. You want to see how much you've improved since last time.
  1. First time climbing: 2 metres
  2. Second time climbing: 4 metres
  3. Third time climbing: 6 metres
  4. Fourth time climbing: 7 metres
  5. Fifth time climbing: 8 metres
Now, let's see how much you've improved each time:
  • From 2 to 4 metres: 4 - 2 = 2 metres
  • From 4 to 6 metres: 6 - 4 = 2 metres
  • From 6 to 7 metres: 7 - 6 = 1 metre
  • From 7 to 8 metres: 8 - 7 = 1 metre
You can draw a chart to show your progress, or use a piece of string to measure your climbs and mark how high you've gone.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: Subtracting the new height from the old height instead of the other way around.
    Why it happens: Sometimes children mix up which number to subtract from which.
    Fix: Always subtract the smaller number from the bigger number to find how much you've improved.
  • Mistake: Forgetting to write down the subtraction calculation.
    Why it happens: Children may want to do it in their head without writing it down.
    Fix: Encourage children to write down their subtraction problems to help them keep track.
  • Mistake: Thinking that climbing higher means a smaller number.
    Why it happens: Confusion between the idea of "more" and "less".
    Fix: Use real climbing examples to show that climbing higher means a bigger number.

Parent and carer guide

As a parent or carer, you can help your child by:
  • Encouraging them to write down their climbing heights
  • Helping them practice subtraction with climbing examples
  • Creating a chart to show their climbing progress
  • Using climbing as a fun way to learn about measuring and comparing
  • Reinforcing that climbing higher means a bigger number, not a smaller one
You can also ask questions like:
  • How much higher did you climb this time?
  • Can you show me how you found the difference?
  • What's the biggest jump you've made?
Remember, the goal is to make maths fun and exciting through climbing. Celebrate your child's progress and help them see how maths is part of their climbing adventure!

Practice questions

  1. Old personal best: 3 metres. New personal best: 5 metres. How much have you improved?
  2. Old personal best: 4 metres. New personal best: 7 metres. How much have you improved?
  3. Old personal best: 2 metres. New personal best: 6 metres. How much have you improved?
  4. Old personal best: 5 metres. New personal best: 8 metres. How much have you improved?
  5. Old personal best: 1 metre. New personal best: 4 metres. How much have you improved?
Answers:
  1. 5 - 3 = 2 metres
  2. 7 - 4 = 3 metres
  3. 6 - 2 = 4 metres
  4. 8 - 5 = 3 metres
  5. 4 - 1 = 3 metres

FAQ

What is a personal best in climbing?

A personal best is the highest height you've ever climbed. It's your own record that you can beat over time.

How do I track my climbing progress?

You can write down your heights each time you climb, then subtract to see how much you've improved.

Can I use maths to compare my climbing with my friends?

Yes! You can compare your personal bests with friends to see who climbed the highest or improved the most.

Why is it helpful to compare my old and new climbing heights?

It helps you see how much you've grown and improved, and it makes climbing more fun and rewarding.

What other maths can I learn from climbing?

You can learn about measurement, counting, comparing numbers, and even basic multiplication when you climb the same height multiple times.