Mental Oral Starter
Year 4 Summer Teaching Sequence 12
Activity 1
Objectives: Round, compare and find a number between four-digit numbers
Resources: White boards and pens for each child
Level of difficulty: Medium
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Draw a number line between 1000 and 2000.
Write 2 multiples of 10 on Post-it™ notes e.g. 1440 and 1690.
Discuss with the children where these numbers should go, use the halfway
mark to help them position the numbers.
On their white boards ask children to write down a possible number that
could be found in-between these numbers e.g. 1530.
Choose children to reveal their numbers and check they are correct.
Then ask the children who have a number that rounds down to 1000 to move
to one side of the floor and the children who have a number that rounds up
to 2000 to move to the other side.
Repeat by changing the range on the number line e.g. from 3000 to 5000.
Activity 2
Objectives: Find the total of any pair of three-digit numbers
Resources: Bell; White boards and pens for each child
Level of difficulty: Medium
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Ask children to write a three-digit number on their white boards.
Give them 5 seconds to find a partner.
They work out the sum of their numbers and double check with each other
that they have the same number.
Ring a bell as a signal for the children to move around again and find
another partner to add with.
Continue until the children have had a chance to complete 5 additions.
Discuss the various methods the children have used to help them work out
the additions.
Activity 3
Objectives: Find a difference between any pair of three-digit numbers
Resources: White boards and pens for each group
Level of difficulty: Medium/Hard
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual
users.
Y4 Maths TS12 – Mental Oral Starters - Sum
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Draw a 6 x 6 grid on the board with a selection of 3-digit numbers in each
box.
Divide the children into four teams.
Choose a team to go first, they must discuss which two numbers to pick and
work together to quickly find the difference between them using an
efficient method.
They show their method to the rest of the class and if it is correct they
gain a point for their team! (They can also gain extra points for a clear and
efficient explanation.)
Another team now chooses their numbers.
Continue until each team has had an even number of turns and then add up
the points and announce the winning team!
Activity 4
Objectives: Choose written or mental methods to solve three-digit additions and
subtractions
Resources: White boards and pens for each child; Sugar paper; Pens
Level of difficulty: Medium
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Write 58-36, 86-62, 82-8, 68-34 on the board.
Each child picks one subtraction and writes the answer in a circle.
Say the subtractions in turn and children hold up the answer when the one
they have worked out is read.
o Was it better to count on/back?
Now ask some children to give the class some new subtractions to work out
and repeat.
Activity 5
Objectives: Multiply any two-digit numbers by single-digit numbers
Resources: Number cards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10, white boards/pens for each child
Level of difficulty: Easy/Medium
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Organise children into a large circle and place some number cards in the
centre.
Ask children to write a 2-digit number on their white boards e.g.43
Throw four beanbags to 4 different children to start the game.
Each beanbag child picks a card from the middle of the circle e.g. 4 and
multiplies their number by the number they have picked e.g. 4 x 43.
If he/she gets stuck working out the multiplication they ask for help and
choose someone to advise them on a good method to use.
Repeat by each child throwing the beanbag to another child in the circle.
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual
users.
Y4 Maths TS12 – Mental Oral Starters - Sum
Activity 6
Objectives: Divide two- and smaller three-digit numbers by single-digit numbers
to give answers up to 30 including remainders
Resources: Number cards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10
Level of difficulty: Easy/Medium
 Remind children of the useful rules they can use when dividing:
Divisible
Divisible
Divisible
Divisible
o Divisible
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by 10 if… the last digit is 0
by 100 if… the last two digits are 00
by 2 if… the last digits are 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8
by 4 if… the last two digits are divisible by 4
by 5 if… the last digit is 0 or 5
 Test the children’s understanding of these facts by asking them some division
questions:
o Is 24 divisible by 4?
o Is 70 divisible by 10?
o Is 25 a multiple of 5?
 The children put their thumbs up or down depending on whether they think it
is divisible or not.
 Keep going like this, asking children different numbers.
Activity 7
Objectives: Divide two- and smaller three-digit numbers by single-digit numbers
to give answers up to 30 including remainders
Resources: Dice
Level of difficulty: Easy/Medium
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Write a selection of divisions on the board e.g. 24  5, 38  3, 120  4.
Ask the children to work in pairs. They draw a line down the centre of their
white boards - one side with Written and the other Mentally.
In their pairs they work out the divisions and decide which method is best
to use for each and record them on either side.
When they have all finished, share ideas and discuss why certain divisions
are easier to work out in our head than others.
Activity 8
Objectives: Round 3 digit numbers
Find the total of pair of two/three-digit numbers
Find a difference between pairs of two/three-digit numbers
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual
users.
Y4 Maths TS12 – Mental Oral Starters - Sum
Use mental methods to solve two/ three-digit additions and subtractions
Multiply two-digit numbers by single-digit numbers
Divide two- and smaller three-digit numbers by single-digit numbers
Resources: Follow me cards &copy of sequence (see resources)
Level of difficulty: Medium
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Make the resource cards and shuffle the pack. Distribute them so that
groups of children are responsible for four or five cards. This strategy
keeps everyone alert for longer in the game than if single cards are given
to individual children.
Make sure that you know where the start card is and that you have a paper
copy of the sequence. This helps if the game comes to a halt for one of a
variety of reasons!
It is important that children speak clearly and sufficiently loudly so that all
can hear the next question.
Time how long it takes to finish the sequence.
The activity will go slowly the first time it is played. Play it a second time
with the aim of reducing the time it takes to finish it.
N.B The format could be used to create other games to practise different facts.
If the given sequence is too demanding for a group it could be slightly altered to
make it easier.
Activity 9
Objectives: To calculate the mid point between pairs of numbers
To find the difference between pairs of numbers
Find halves of a range of numbers
Resources: Spreadsheet Mid point available from the Primary Strategy website
Route: Resource library – mathematics – ICT resources - spreadsheets
Level of difficulty: Medium/Hard
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Use the resource (or just use a line on the board in the same format) to
introduce the activity. Work entirely orally at first.
We’ve got to find out what this middle point is between these numbers 10
and 28. What shall we do first? Yes, find the difference between them.
So this stretch of the line is 18, so half way will be? 9? Well 9 is half of 18
but our line starts at 10 so what should we do?
Take suggestions and then repeat with examples where the numbers are
not too demanding.
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual
users.
Y4 Maths TS12 – Mental Oral Starters - Sum
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After sufficient practice, ask children to work in pairs to work out answers
and show on their whiteboards.
© Original teaching sequence copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual
users.
Y4 Maths TS12 – Mental Oral Starters - Sum