Maths Demystified 2
Curriculum Evening
What’s coming up:
 Why have a Maths Evening?
 How children progress in Maths
 The 4 rules: how are they taught now at FJS?
– Mental strategies
– Written strategies
 Importance of problem solving
 How can you help your child at home?
 Information on further workshops for parents
Working together with your child
 Refreshments
Structure of the Daily Mathematics
Lesson
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Mental and Oral Starter
Main Input
Group work
Plenary
Sharing and articulation of strategies is vital,
also representing the strategies visually
Progression in Maths
 Children start by learning mental methods of
calculation before moving onto informal
jottings (such as the number line).
 When these are understood the children
then learn the formal layout of calculations.
 Moving ahead too quickly or missing a step
can lead to children becoming confused and
insecure.
Addition
 Children are taught a range of strategies for
adding numbers in their heads.
 They learn ‘number bonds’ to 10 and 100
 They learn how to count on for small
differences.
 They also learn how to add numbers that
are close to a multiple of ten and then adjust
such as 49 + 23 = 50 + 23 – 1= 72
Addition – Written method
 On the way to learning the formal written
method, children learn column addition,
starting with the least significant digit.
Subtraction – Mental Strategies
 Counting on or back e.g. in 5s, 10s, 100s
 Counting on or back to solve problems e.g.
86-30
 Partitioning (splitting the number up : one
number or both)
 Compensating
 Subtracting time (non-metric)
 Selecting the right method
Subtraction –written methods
 Number line
 Written representation of the number line
(vertical)
 Traditional formal written method
Multiplication
 Essential that children learn their tables (and
related division facts).
 The booklet gives examples of games you
can play at home to reinforce.
Multiplication
 Ideally…
 By the end of year 3 children should know their 2,
5 and 10 times tables.
 By the end of year 4 children should know their 2,
3, 4, 5, and 10 times tables.
 By the end of year 5 children should know all their
tables to x10.
 By the end of year 6 children should be able to
give the right answer before the question is asked.
Multiplication – written method
 One of the written methods the children
learn is the grid method.
 This builds on their knowledge of place
value and of multiplying smaller numbers.
Division – mental methods
 Knowledge of tables – backwards and inside
out
 4x9=36, 9x4=36, 36÷9=4, 36÷4=9
 Use of arrays
 Dividing by 10, 100, 1000
 Halving (also ÷4 is halving and halving again)
 Finding fractions, decimals and percentages
e.g. 1/3 of 27, 25% of £10, 0.5 x 12
Division – the importance of context
68 ÷ 8
 Harry has 68 toffees he shares them between 8
friends. How many does each friend get and how
many are left over?
 A 68cm piece of ribbon is cut into 8 equal pieces.
How long is each piece?
 68 scouts go on a weekend camping trip. Each
tent takes 8 scouts. How many tents will they need
to bring?
 Pencils come in boxes of 8. How many full boxes
can you make from 68 pencils?
Division –written methods
 Repeated subtraction or ‘chunking’
Problem solving
Emily uses 3 silver coins to pay for an orange. The orange costs 67p.
How much change does she get?
The answer is 4.7cm. What is the problem?
 Puts Maths in a real context
 Allows children to investigate different ways of solving a
problem
 There is often not just one ‘right’ answer but many possible
answers
How can you help at home?
 Have a positive view of Maths with your child
 Ask them to teach you what they learnt today
 Involve children with weighing and measuring in real
contexts e.g. cooking
 Give them the responsibility of handling money
 Play maths games or games that involve Maths e.g.
Yahzee, Monopoly, Card Games e.g. Cribbage, 21 or bust
etc.
 Practise the mental arithmetic basics a little and often e.g.
adding car number plates
 Using time e.g. You’ve got 40 minutes on your PS2 - what
time do you need to stop playing?
 Maths is all around – make the most of natural
opportunities
Free Workshops For Parents
 Roz Bradbury
Workshops
 Whiteboard warm up
 Working together with your child on an
activity
 Refreshments in the Hall afterwards