Maths

Why Study Mathematics?

The ability to understand and manipulate numbers is a vital skill that has intrigued some of history’s greatest minds. It is an essential part of everyday life, critical to science, technology and engineering, as well as, most areas of employment. A high-quality mathematics education is therefore essential to providing a foundation for a child’s future. Developing a child’s number sense; their ability to reason and explain mathematically; an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics; and stimulating curiosity about the subject is a key motivation for teaching mathematics.

FS – The aim is to stimulate inquiry and to explore number, patterns and structure, focus is to be on mathematical dialogue; developing a concept of oneness; and mark making to record their findings.

EYFS environment will include visual images, models and number resources to stimulate interest.

KS1 – Children move from exploration of number into developing more formal strategies of handling mathematical problems. Place value concepts, mental fluency and verbal explanations are essential parts of developing a child’s confidence.

KS2 – An increasing focus in developing a child’s understanding, handling increasingly large or small numbers in all four operations. Place value knowledge is developed and deepened while formal methods are used to provide efficiency in their workings. A focus on solving problems in real-life contexts and reasoning to justify and explain answers is vital to improving a pupil’s mathematical skills.

Maths Careers

Every job has an element of mathematics involved: understanding money, measuring lengths, counting or understanding shape. Be it a shop keeper giving change; a carpenter measuring wood; a pharmacist mixing medicine; or a painter working out how much paint to buy, all careers need a knowledge of maths and how to deal with numbers.

Helping at Home

Talk about numbers in your household, familiarise children with different coins, play dice games, involve them in the shopping talking about different numbers.To help them you could talk about the time and practise reading different types of clocks, for the younger children ask questions like “what is one more or one less than that?”

Links

For KS2 – https://play.ttrockstars.com

“I haven’t experienced this level of improvement with other programmes. Rockstars gives them motivation…they want to get higher scores and it’s not a feeling they typically experience in math” Bruno Reddy, Founder

Times Tables Rock Stars is an excellent way to develop a child’s times table knowledge. By using the app or playing online and doing paper based work in the classroom, children deepen their understanding and have fun racing against themselves and others.

A majority of maths topics require multiplication knowledge and without quick recall children can fall behind. This can also affect learners’ confidence in maths or cause them to become anxious about their abilities. Teaching higher level maths can become difficult if students lack fundamental skills, such as times tables recall and so it is a crucial aspect of maths lessons, not only in primary education but also in secondary.

Good Apps

https://appadvice.com/app/number-board/512475388 (Apple)

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/addition-multiplication-number-bubbles/id467091416?mt=8 (Apple)

KS1 – http://www.duckduckmoose.com/educational-iphone-itouch-apps-for-kids/pet-bingo/

(Android and Apple)

General websites

https://www.mathplayground.coml – An excellent website covering all areas of mathematics – fun games and challenges – Select your child’s year and it chooses relevant games.

https://www.arcademics.com – Another great free site that gives maths competitions and games.

http://primarygamesarena.com/Subjects/Maths

Stuck on homework

BBC Bitesize – https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/subjects/z6vg9j6

Maths is fun – https://www.mathsisfun.com/

Greater depth challenges

Nrich – https://nrich.maths.org/13827