Here is a selection of resources for you to use with your children! Some are free and some require a small charge. Please click on the highlighted resource name, or the download icon, for access. For the resources that need paying for, you will need a credit or debit card.
Ten Frames with dice patterns of five
I have created some ‘ten frames’ using the pattern of five which is seen on dice. You can access with the links at the end of this paragraph. Not everyone’s brain sees things the same way. Standard ten frames (a two by five grid) work well for many children but there will always be some children who find that arrangement difficult to subitise, therefore they will not be able to use it as way of visualising amounts. These versions of ten frames could be used with the children who need a different interpretation of ten.
ten frame as two fives – circles
ten frame as two fives – squares
1)molly’s maths – exploring names
I am in the process of writing children’s mathematics story-books based around a group of children in a school setting: Molly and Friends. They are designed to demonstrate a potential learning journey through each area of mathematics. I have been testing the first set of books written, aimed at Year 2, with Miss Rawling’s class at Wycliffe C of E Primary and they have given me some interesting and pertinent feed back. No publisher as yet, but I will keep trying!
Here is the book based on children finding patterns and relationships with the letters in their names. You might want to use it with your new class during transition: Show the story (on your IWB – no flashy turning page effects yet, I am afraid!) and, by stopping to respond to the text in italics, it will give the children tasks to do. It might also help you to learn their names! Even though the book is mostly aimed at Year 2 children, I feel it would be appropriate for most year groups in school.
The Reasoning papers contain many questions that involve the children having to follow instructions. Only a small fraction of these papers would be considered ‘word problems’. (By ‘word problems’ I mean a ‘maths story’ i.e. ‘John went to a shop with a £10 note. He got £2.30 change. How much did he spend?’ etc.) This document lists all of the instruction questions from the last three rounds of SAT papers (KS1 and KS2). Check out the most common forms of instructions such as: ‘circle’, ‘join’, ‘match’, ‘tick’, ‘complete’, etc. and practise these instructions with your class. I would write some questions on the playground using chunky chalk (borrowed from FS) and get the children to do these actions. Giving learning an emotional attachment ensures a higher probability of it remaining in the memory.
We must be careful, when introducing children to standard written methods in KS2, to not infer that the children should do all their calculations using a written method. Here is a poster to use in class, which supports children in making decisions about whether to use a written method or not, driven by noticing the types of numbers, and any relationships between the numbers, in the calculations. E.g. If I am a child in year 3 and I am given a calculation of 410 + 200, I should know that I can do it mentally (either by counting on from 410 in hundreds, or using my knowledge of bonds to six, for example) – this does not require a written method. The children will need to be trained to use the poster and will also need you to model your thinking, out-loud, when using it as a way to decide, so that they understand how to go through the thinking process.
Mathematics is about noticing and understanding the rules and relationships and being able to justify the reasons for these rules and relationships (I love alliteration!). This document – which I put together when creating a Long Term Plan for year 6 – alerts you to how important it is for children to be exposed to certain mathematical behaviours. If they have not been taught these ways of thinking before they begin to tackle algebra in year 6, they will find this area of maths confusing and baffling. The problem for any school is that this advice is not something that will have an instant impact – it will need to be committed to over time, so that it becomes part of the ‘woodwork’ of the school. Only then will it reap rewards.
Songs and rhymes can be a powerful learning tool for many children. Here is a rhyme that a child taught me. It can be set to the tune ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and used as a song to help children learn the number bond pairs of ten. You will find how to teach the song with actions on my YouTube channel: SharonDay Maths
This song, to the tune of ‘If you’re happy and you know it…’ reminds the children, once they have learned the process in class, which way to move the digits in the the number when multiplying by ten. You will find how to teach the song with actions on my YouTube channel: SharonDay Maths
This song, to the tune of ‘The Wheels of the bus…’ reminds the children, once they have learned the process in class, which way to move the digits in the the number when dividing by ten. You will find how to teach the song with actions on my YouTube channel: SharonDay Maths
This rhyme reminds the children to emphasise the suffix ‘teen’ when counting in ones up to twenty and beyond. It is mostly aimed at the children in year 1. You will find how to teach the song with actions on my YouTube channel: SharonDay Maths
This rhyme reminds the children to emphasise the suffix ‘ty’ when counting in multiples of ten. It is mostly aimed at the children in year 1. You will find how to teach the song with actions on my YouTube channel: SharonDay Maths
These tasks demand mathematical thinking. They are designed to be used to support with observation and assessment. The idea is that the children discuss in pairs and groups and the adult observes, prompting and probing where necessary, taking notes on: the facts they know; the skills they choose to use; the maths words they use; how they describe/explain; also if they link/apply/make reference to other areas of maths or other contexts.
They will help you to find out where there might have been lost learning as well as identify gaps that will need filling. Use the information to specifically target need.
These tasks demand mathematical thinking. They are designed to be used to support with observation and assessment. The idea is that the children discuss in pairs and groups and the adult observes, prompting and probing where necessary, taking notes on: the facts they know; the skills they choose to use; the maths words they use; how they describe/explain; also if they link/apply/make reference to other areas of maths or other contexts.
They will help you to find out where there might have been lost learning as well as identify gaps that will need filling. Use the information to specifically target need.
These tasks demand mathematical thinking. They are designed to be used to support with observation and assessment. The idea is that the children discuss in pairs and groups and the adult observes, prompting and probing where necessary, taking notes on: the facts they know; the skills they choose to use; the maths words they use; how they describe/explain; also if they link/apply/make reference to other areas of maths or other contexts.
They will help you to find out where there might have been lost learning as well as identify gaps that will need filling. Use the information to specifically target need.
These tasks demand mathematical thinking. They are designed to be used to support with observation and assessment. The idea is that the children discuss in pairs and groups and the adult observes, prompting and probing where necessary, taking notes on: the facts they know; the skills they choose to use; the maths words they use; how they describe/explain; also if they link/apply/make reference to other areas of maths or other contexts.
They will help you to find out where there might have been lost learning as well as identify gaps that will need filling. Use the information to specifically target need.
These tasks demand mathematical thinking. They are designed to be used to support with observation and assessment. The idea is that the children discuss in pairs and groups and the adult observes, prompting and probing where necessary, taking notes on: the facts they know; the skills they choose to use; the maths words they use; how they describe/explain; also if they link/apply/make reference to other areas of maths or other contexts.
They will help you to find out where there might have been lost learning as well as identify gaps that will need filling. Use the information to specifically target need..
These tasks demand mathematical thinking. They are designed to be used to support with observation and assessment. The idea is that the children discuss in pairs and groups and the adult observes, prompting and probing where necessary, taking notes on: the facts they know; the skills they choose to use; the maths words they use; how they describe/explain; also if they link/apply/make reference to other areas of maths or other contexts.
They will help you to find out where there might have been lost learning as well as identify gaps that will need filling. Use the information to specifically target need.
This document lists the common mathematical misconceptions and misunderstandings that children can have, or develop, in the Early Years and there is advice on how to address them. It will be useful to support with catch-up maths as it will guide you to the areas that children are likely to have the greatest problems with.
This document lists the common mathematical misconceptions and misunderstandings that children can have, or develop, across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 and there is advice on how to address them. It will be useful to support with catch-up maths as it will guide you to the areas that children are likely to have the greatest problems with.
This document will help you to track back from any statutory requirement in the mathematics National Curriculum for England, in year 2 and 1 in order to find the concept, idea or technique that your children may have gaps with and need to catch-up on. It also includes some teaching ideas and advice.
This document will help you to track back from any statutory requirement in the mathematics National Curriculum for England, from year 6, 5 and 4 to year 3 content, in order to find the concept, idea or technique that your children may have gaps with and need to catch-up on. It also includes some teaching ideas and advice. If you are a year 3 teacher, there is another document you will need which tracks progression between year 2 and year 3 content.
This document will help you to track back from any statutory requirement in the mathematics National Curriculum for England,from year 3 to year 2 in order to find the concept, idea or technique that your children may have gaps with and need to catch-up on. It also includes some teaching ideas and advice.
The document lists ideas for counting aloud with your children as well as the progression between year group expectations from the National Curriculum (2014). It is recommended that children practise counting aloud every day, relating the counting to its concepts as well as then counting in a variety of contexts, to build agility. Ensure that there are times when the counting includes concrete models and images of items to promote conceptual understanding and contextual application. Standard font is quoted from the NC programmes of study; italic font shows additional ideas and advice. It will help with catch-up programmes as it will allow you to see anything that your children might have missed or forgotten.
This song will help children understand the concept of ‘one more…’ You will find how to teach the song with actions on my YouTube channel: SharonDay Maths
Another original song with a simple melody. This helps with ‘one fewer and one less’. You will find how to teach the song with actions on my YouTube channel: SharonDay Maths
Maths at Home
This document was inspired by the leaflets provided for parents by the National Strategies on maths at home. It will give you ideas that you can set as fun tasks for parents and carers to do with their children. They are based around using the local environment and items that most people will have in their houses.