Little Maths Helper
A collection of fun
online games, tips and
strategies to support
your child’s learning in
maths.
March 2011
Dear Parent/Carer,
Please find enclosed a booklet detailing links to online maths activities which you can
use at home to support your child’s learning.
The left hand column details specific areas of maths that the links relate to. For
example, if your child struggles with addition, there are some links for related
online games which they can play to strengthen their knowledge.
As part of our continuing professional development as class teachers within the
Dunbar schools cluster, we have decided to pilot this resource in the hope that it
will provide a useful link between what is being taught in the classroom and your
child’s individual learning needs. It is anticipated that, if you decide this is a useful
resource, it would be further developed to include a greater variety of maths topics
and related online resources.
We would be very grateful if you would take the opportunity to choose a few
activities over the coming weeks with your child and then provide us with some
feedback. There is no expectation that you will trial all of the links, just those that
are of current relevance for your child. We would suggest that you would spend no
more than 10 minutes per night on the activities.
We can also make the booklet available electronically. Please advise if you would like
this to be sent this as an email attachment.
Please return the booklet with any comments as soon as you can.
Thank you for your time.
Helene Kett
---------------------------------------------------------------------Parent name: _________________________________
I would like to receive an electronic copy of the Little
Maths Helper.
Please email to _______________________________
Signed: _____________________________________
Number
Description
Website/Activity
Practising
number
bonds to 10 and
beyond eg
8+2=10,
9+1=10
http://www.kenttrustw
eb.org.uk/kentict/cont
ent/games/ladyBirdSpo
ts/index.html
http://www.amblesidep
rimary.com/ambleweb/
mentalmaths/numberbo
nd.html
http://www.ictgames.co
m/10pipe.html
Try using practical
items such as apples,
sweets, buttons or
marbles that your child
can handle to physically
and visually show all
the different ways of
making a number, for
example 7 is 2+5, but
also 3+4.
Early addition
and subtraction
http://www.bbc.co.uk/s
chools/starship/maths/
games/cross_the_swa
mp/small_sound/standa
rd.shtml
http://www.woodlandsjunior.kent.sch.uk/math
s/units120.html
Play snakes and ladders
to reinforce these
skills.
Try moving forward
(addition) and
backwards
(subtraction) on stairs
or paving slabs.
Parent Comment
Description
Website/Activity
Mental
addition and
subtraction
to 20
http://www.primaryreso
urces.co.uk/maths/powe
rpoint/disappearing_ma
n.swf
http://www.amblesidepr
imary.com/ambleweb/me
ntalmaths/additiontest.
html
http://www.amblesidepr
imary.com/ambleweb/me
ntalmaths/subtractionte
st.html
The next step in
addition and subtraction
is for them to visualise
the numbers. Try the
first exercises, but
extend their skills by
screening one, and
eventually both of the
groups you are adding or
taking away. For
example, show them five
buttons, cover three,
and ask how many are
under the plate.
Recognising
numbers to
100
http://www.amblesidepr
imary.com/ambleweb/me
ntalmaths/countersquar
e.html
Take a walk down your
street and ask your
child to read you door
numbers, bus numbers,
numbers on registration
plates, numbers they
see in shops etc.
Parent Comment
Description
Website/Activity
Place value,
ordering
numbers,
counting in
2s, 3s, 5,
and 10s.
http://www.woodlan
dsjunior.kent.sch.uk/
maths/interactive/
numbers.htm
http://www.ictgame
s.com/funkymum.ht
ml
Ask your child to
group items in 2s,
3s or 5s. Use items
such as pennies,
buttons, building
blocks, lego etc.
This will help your
child visualise the
amount in their
head.
Number
bonds to 20
http://www.interac
tivestuff.org/sums
4fun/colquiz.html
See “number bonds
to 10” activities.
Encourage your
child to realise the
link between 6+4 =
10 and 16+4 = 20.
Parent Comment
Description
Website/Activity
Problem
solving:
guess the
number
http://www.wmnet.
org.uk/wmnet/custo
m/files_uploaded/u
ploaded_resources/
851/Guessthenumb
er.swf
“Guess the number”
game. Each player
has a post-it note
on their head with a
number on it. They
have to guess their
number by asking
questions using
language such as
more than, less
than, odd, even etc.
Each person gets
one question per
turn.
Variations: the
winner guesses
first. The person
who asks the least
questions wins.
Odd & Even
http://www.bbc.co.
uk/schools/starship
/maths/games/num
ber_jumbler/small_
sound/standard.sht
ml
Walk down your
street and point out
the door numbers.
Can you child spot a
pattern of the odd
and even numbered
houses?
Parent Comment
Description
Website/Activity
Recognising the correct
sign eg, + / - / x
http://www.bbc.co.uk/scho
ols/starship/maths/games
/number_jumbler/small_s
ound/standard.shtml
http://www.amblesideprim
ary.com/ambleweb/mental
maths/tabletrees.html
Times Tables
http://www.amblesideprim
ary.com/ambleweb/mental
maths/testtest.html
Reinforce that multiplying
is just adding the same
number lots of times. Put
similar items in equal
group (by spacing them,
putting them on plates)
and get your child to add
them up.
Next step: encourage your
child to count in 2s, 3s, 4s,
5s and 10s to find the
answer quicker.
Any further comments:
Parent Comment
Time
Description
Website/Activity
Teaching Time and
comparing analogue/digital
http://www.time-fortime.com/swf/myclox.swf
http://www.oswego.org/oc
sdweb/games/BangOnTime/c
lockwordres.html
Get your child to try and
read the time using an
analogue and digital clock.
Can they see the
comparison? Play games
such as What’s the time
Mr. Wolf?
Try to give your child an
idea of time scales as
often as possible. For
example:
“We are going to
Edinburgh in 2 days.”
“Remember when the big
hand is at 12 and the little
hand is at 6 that is your
bed time.”
Play circle games such as
Duck, Duck, Goose and ask
them to run clockwise the
first time, anti clockwise
the second time etc.
Any further comments:
Parent Comment
Money
Description
Website/Activity
Money: Using coins to
make a given amount.
http://www.ictgames.com
/moneypayer.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sch
ools/starship/maths/gam
es/number_jumbler/small
_sound/standard.shtml
Using coins, get your child
to use different coins to
make the same amount
for example 20p can be
made with one 20p coin or
four 10p coins of four 5p
coins etc. Play a game:
how many different ways
can you think of to make
20p?
Using pennies, ask your
child to show you how
many 1ps are in one 20p
coin. They need to
understand what value
each coin has to begin
with. Play a game where
you have some coins and
they have different coins.
Who has the most money?
Role-play shopping using
easy amounts and small
value coins. Give your
child their own little
purse and a number-line
to support their addition
and subtraction. How
many items can they buy
from your shop? How
much change will they
have?
Parent Comment