Woodford Church of England
Primary School
Welcome to our information
evening
Progression through calculations
Can I do
it in my
head?
Do I need
jottings ?
Do I need to
use a
calculator?
Shall I use a
pencil and
paper method?
Maths people
• What type of Mathematics person are
you?
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Effortless
Hard worker
Struggler
Terrified
Aims
• To share the new calculation strategy
and new curriculum for Maths
• To review the necessity for a calculation
strategy
• To discuss issues and questions
informally
Aims of the new Maths
curriculum
The national curriculum for mathematics aims to ensure that all
pupils:
• become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including
through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex
problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual
understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge
rapidly and accurately
• reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry,
conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an
argument, justification or proof using mathematical language
• can solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of
routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication,
including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps
and persevering in seeking solutions
Calculations strategy
• What is it and why do we have one?
• This ensures that there is a consistent
approach across the school and from parents
on how to teach children to complete
calculations.
• All staff work from the same strategy to
ensure a consistent approach to progression
through the stages of learning.
Times tables
Times tables
Over this coming year we will be developing multiplication
tables across the school.
• YR – Begin to count in steps – 1’s, 2’s and 10’s
• Y1 – Be able to count in steps of 1, 2, 5 and 10 confidently
to the 10th term
• Y2 –To know their 2, 5, and 10 times tables (as times
tables not as counting)
• Y3 – To know their 3, 4, and 8 times tables (consolidate
previous as well)
• Y4 – Consolidation and move onto the 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12
times tables
• Y5/6 – Consolidation and application
This will prepare children to work with longer calculations
and use written methods competently.
The four stages
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Mental
Informal
Expanded
Efficient
• Note that mental and informal methods
will continue all the way through primary
maths.
Skills of mental calculation
Mental methods will be established. These will be based on a solid
understanding of place value in number and will include the following;
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Remembering number facts and recalling them without hesitation
(pairs, doubles, halves)
Using known facts to calculate unknown facts (6 + 6 = 12 so 6 + 7 = 13)
Understanding and using the relationship between addition and
subtraction to find answers and check results
Establishing a solid repertoire of mental strategies to solve calculation
(bridging, near doubles etc)
Making use of informal jottings such as blank number lines to assist in
larger calculations
Solving one-step word problems by identifying which operation to use
and explain their reasoning
Beginning to present calculations is a horizontal format and explain the
mental steps taken
Learning to estimate and approximate
Laying the foundations for
addition and subtraction
• Addition and subtraction are taught together.
Children learn that addition is commutative
and subtraction is not.
• Children learn to understand the principle of
exchange (which is central to our number
system) – 10 ones become one 10.
• Addition and subtraction teaching make the
inverse relationship explicit.
• Children will learn the column method
(efficient) for both addition and subtraction.
Addition and subtraction
• Mental
• Informal
3+2=5
5=3+2
14
+
11
=
25
3+2=5
Addition and subtraction
Expanded
Efficient
Laying the foundations for
multiplication and division
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Multiplication and division are taught together - children learn that
multiplication is commutative and division is not
Children will ‘hook’ their mathematical thinking onto real life
examples
Repeated addition and subtraction will be used to aid calculations
Explicit links will be made between division and fractions
Multiplication and division teaching make the inverse relationship
explicit
Children will be encouraged to see patterns and the related nature
of the times tables
Children learn to understand the principle of exchange (which is
central to our number system) – 10 ones become one 10
Children will explore remainders and will learn the efficient written
methods for both multiplication and division
Multiplication and division
• Mental
12 shared into 3 equal groups
12 shared equally into groups of 4
• Informal
1÷2
I am 3 times as tall as you.
Multiplication and division
Expanded
Efficient
Language
• Addition – increase, together, sum, more, plus,
add, total, and
• Subtraction – difference between, subtract,
fewer, decrease, minus, take from, reduce, take
away
• Multiplication – multiplied by, multiply, times
table, times, product, groups of, lots of
• Division – divided by, share, divide, share equally,
divisible by, divide into, group, fractions
How can you help?
• Count with your child
• Play number games
• Involve children in shopping activities
• Involve children when taking measurements or weighing
items
• Take note of numbers in real life e.g. telephone numbers,
bus numbers, lottery numbers etc
• Give children opportunities to use money to shop, check
change etc
•Talk about the mathematics in football e.g. How many
points does your favourite team need to catch the next
team in the division?
• Use the taught methods with calculations
What not to do....
Many of us use maths ‘tricks’ and teach
them to our children. Please do not
teach your child the following ‘tricks’;
• Just add a zero
• Move the decimal point
• Let’s do some sums – only addition is
referred to as sum
• Rub it out and start again – workings are
best shown
Mental gymnastics ideas
• Think of a number and keep doubling it. How
far can you go?
• Face the person next to you and alternate!
• In 2s – one person recites all the numbers
from 1 to 100
• The other person raises their hand at any
number that can be divided by 3 or …
• Divided by 4 or …
• Divided by 3 and 4 or …
• Divided by 5
You can use a number square to help you!
Useful websites
• www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/maths/
Really good resources and games for all areas of numeracy that you would expect
from the BBC. Also includes other Primary subjects.
• www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/timestable/interactive.htm
An excellent school website offering links to games to help children with speed of
recall for times tables.
• www.topicbox.co.uk/browse.php?subject=Maths
A huge site that is easy to navigate around. All topics of numeracy are well
organised so you can easily find what
you’re looking for. Also includes other Primary subjects.
• www.learningclip.co.uk
You will need to register for free but contains lots of activities and printable
worksheets that consolidate classroom work.
• www.ictgames.com/resources.html
Scroll down to themes and locate the easy to navigate numeracy areas. Each game
has a clear learning objective and suggested year group. Excellent games!
• www.counton.org
Huge amount of games and puzzles. Also click on the ‘links’ tab to find lots of links to
other maths sites.
Key messages
To develop written calculation strategies, children need:
o Secure mental strategies from Nursery and Reception.
o A solid understanding of the number system.
o Practical, hands on experience including counters and base 10
apparatus.
o Visual images including number lines and arrays.
o Experience of expanded methods to develop understanding
and avoid rote learning.
o Secure understanding of each stage before moving onto the
next.
They should have these questions at the forefront of their
minds:
‘Can I do it in my head? If not which method will help me?’
Thank you
• Thank you for attending this
information session
There is time for
• Feedback
• Exploring resources
• Questions