“What can I be doing at home?” It’s a common question asked at parents’ evening, and it’s not always obvious how to answer it. Here are some ideas that may help.
Introduce number pairs or number bonds
Number bonds are fundamental to developing number sense and mathematical fluency.
Number bonds or number pairs are pairs of numbers that add together to make a given number. For example, 7 and 3, or 1 and 9 are number bonds to 10, whereas 26 and 74, or 42 and 58 are number bonds to 100.
Number bonds to 10 are particularly important and we can encourage parents to practice number bonds at home.
Encourage parents to practice these in a concrete way using a ten frame. If parents don’t have ten frames at home, they can make them by cutting the last two egg cups from a dozen sized egg carton. There should be two rows of five egg cups in each row, making a ten frame.
Using two different coloured counters, buttons or types of pasta, use the ten frame to explore number bonds to 10. For example, 10 is the same as 6 red buttons and 4 blue buttons. Children should see that 6 and 4 is 10 because the ten frame will be full.
Number pairs activities can be adapted for all ages and levels.
- For younger children, number pairs can be looked at for any given number, for example, the number 5 can be 2 and 3, or 4 and 1. Parents can make a five frame using the egg carton.
- For older children, look at greater numbers, or decimal or fraction pairs to 1.
Ask children to write their own maths problems
Typically, sending maths work home goes like this: the teacher sends home a word problem and it’s the learner’s job to figure out the abstract maths that’s required to solve it.
But what if we flipped this idea on its head?
Try asking your learners to write a story for an equation — essentially writing their own word problem. This is one really valuable maths activity children can do at home.
Asking children to write a story for the equation encourages them to link abstract maths with their real world, helping them develop an understanding of mathematical language. Using this mathematical language requires a different logic than simply deciphering a word problem to solve the maths.
This activity can be adapted for any age group:
- Ask younger children if they can write a story for the equation 10 – 3 = 7
- Ask older children how many different stories can they write where the answer is 9
Our Nine Values
Respect
Co-operation
Pride
Determination
Honesty
Perseverance
Kindness
Fairness
Aspiration
For more information about Prince Edward Primary school, please visit our website.
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Play spatial thinking maths games at home
Research suggests that spatial thinking is directly linked to performance in mathematics, and there are a number of fun maths activities parents can do at home to develop learners’ spatial reasoning skills.
Spatial thinking or spatial reasoning involves the location and movement of objects and ourselves, either mentally or physically, in space. It’s not a single ability or process but actually refers to a considerable number of concepts, tools and processes.
Spatial thinking and reasoning is an important skill for children to learn, and it’s essential to our everyday lives. The world is 3-D so we need to be able to navigate it.
Research suggests that learners who have stronger spatial language perform better in spatial-reasoning tasks. Parents can support the development of spatial thinking at home with activities that emphasise spatial language.
Here are a couple of ideas.
Spatial thinking barrier game
You will need:
- A barrier (cardboard or a book)
- 3-D objects like blocks, counters or lego
How to play:
- Players sit opposite each other and place a barrier between them so they can’t see the other player’s 3-D objects. Each player needs exactly the same objects.
- Player one makes a 3-D figure or arrangement, using blocks, counters or both.
- Player one explains to player two step-by-step how to construct the figure they made, using spatial language like, “place a block on top of the first block.” Player two completes the instruction, then player one gives another instruction like, “place the third block to the right of the tower with the ‘letter A’ facing the front, then rotate the ‘letter A’ 90 degrees to the left”. This continues until the figure is constructed.
- Once player two has completed the construction, remove the barrier to see if the figures look the same. Take turns.
Maths obstacle courses
You will need:
- Space and materials to create an obstacle course
How to play:
- Create an obstacle course either inside or outdoors.
- Player one directs player two around the obstacle course using spatial language.
- Take turns and challenge player two to direct player one around the course using a different route.
These activities can be adapted for all age groups.
- For younger children, the designs will be simple and the language used will relate to location, orientation, distance and direction. For example: left, right, top, bottom, between, in front and behind.
Thank you to Maths No Problem
Keeping children’s maths learning going over the summer holidays can feel like extra pressure for parents. Here are a few simple things that you can do to keep those warm days productive.
On average, learners lose about 2.6 months of maths learning over the summer months and teachers complain that they have to start many topics again due to this lost ground.
Encouraging children to keep their maths learning going over the summer doesn’t need to be a chore, it can be simple, effective, and fun.
Looking for maths activities you can do with your children to keep them engaged in and excited over the summer? Here are a few magical maths activities to entertain the whole family.
Build your own magic squares – Year 2 – Year 6
Magic squares are fascinating. In a basic magic square, the rows, columns, and two diagonals all add up to the same number. This is called the magic number and in the illustration below, the magic number is 15.
Sagrada Familia
One of my favourite magic squares can be found in Barcelona at the Sagrada Familia.
It also has many different patterns to explore. How many can you find?
The magic number here is 33. There are dozens of combinations of numbers that would produce a similar square, with numbers adding to 33. Can you find any?
How to construct a magic square
In the 19th century, Édouard Lucas devised the general formula for order 3 magic squares.
Consider the following table made up of numbers a, b and c:
These numbers will form a magic square as long as:
- They are all larger than zero
- b must be larger than a
- b must not be the same value as 2 times a
- c-a must be bigger than both a and b
Explore the golden ratio – Year 5 & 6
The golden ratio, denoted by the Greek symbol ‘phi’ is a special number in maths that is approximately equal to 1.618. It appears in architecture, art and geometry, and even in the human body.
The golden ratio is found by dividing a line into two unequal parts so that the whole length of the line divided by the longer part is equal to the longer part divided by the shorter part. Try exploring this yourself.
As humans, we like to see objects around us that are in the golden ratio, such as picture frames. The proportions of many buildings are also designed to be in the golden ratio. We are also designed in line with the golden ratio. Have a go at this activity from nrich.org.
Measure the following:
- Distance from the ground to your belly button
- Distance from your belly button to the top of your head
- Distance from the ground to your knees
- Distances A, B, and C
- Length of your hand
- Distance from your wrist to your elbow
Now calculate the following ratios:
- Distance from the ground to your belly button / Distance from your belly button to the top of your head
- Distance from the ground to your belly button / Distance from the ground to your knees
- Distance C / Distance B
- Distance B / Distance A
- Distance from your wrist to your elbow / Length of your hand
Write your results in the following table:
Can you see anything special about these ratios?
Try this time calculator – Year 4 – Year 6
You may well be travelling over the summer, with children asking ‘Are we there yet?’ Maybe you have a car journey, followed by a train journey. How long will you be travelling altogether? You need magical maths activities. This method for adding periods of time may well dazzle your children!
For example, we have a car journey of 1 hour 35 minutes followed by a train journey of 2 hours and 55 minutes. To add two periods of time together, you just write the times as three digit numbers, add them and then add 40.
1 hr and 35 mins plus 2 hrs and 55 mins
Would be
135 + 255 + 40
= 430
4 hrs and 30 minutes!
Can you figure out why it works?
Figure out what happened – Year 5 & Year 6
First, write down any three-digit number.
Multiply it by 13.
Multiply that answer by 7.
Now, multiply that answer by 11.
What do you notice? Does it always work? Why?
For more ideas, please visit Maths No Problem.
Make everyday life about maths
Use everyday life to contribute to your child’s learning and play games using maths as you go about your daily routine. You will find all sorts of games that you can play together to keep your child’s maths learning going over the summer.
This one is really fun, super simple, and it requires no real planning!
A trip to the supermarket? Make it about maths. One loose banana costs 13p so how many bananas can I buy with £1.00? Ask your child to guess. The visual representation of the items will also aid their learning. When you get home, ask your child to count out £1.00 in smaller coins. How many 13p amounts fit into £1.00? What if I only wanted to buy 5 bananas? How much change would I receive from £1.00?
There are so many ways to get your child excited and learning at the same time. This sort of dialogue can be practiced anywhere, for example, while having ice creams on the beach, when buying cinema tickets, during strawberry picking.
Use maths apps to sharpen skills
Download educational games or applications for those long journeys! Whether you’re taking a road trip or flying across the world, downloading educational applications onto your child’s tablet or smartphone can really sharpen their maths skills.
The Educational AppStore has a great selection of free apps for children.
Apps we use in school: TTRockStars and Numbot. Please ask your class teacher for login details. Children also access RM Maths. Again your class teachers has your child’s login details.
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