Month: December 2007

Free Y3 maths worksheet: Subtraction – with a number square

calculate graphicThe second of our free maths worksheets using a 1-100 number square to help with subtraction. A number square can be used in much the same way as a number line but it makes it easier to subtract whole tens when subtracting a 2-digit number.
For example, when taking 52 from 70 the square can be used to take 50 and then count back another 2.

The language of subtraction is important on this page. Children can get into the habit of automatically subtracting the second number from the fist, hence they get into difficulties when faced with a question such as:

subtract 18 from 80.

(Make sure they don’t try to take 80 from 18!).

Free Y3 maths worksheet: Subtraction with a number square (pg 2)

News: The Children’s Plan

We have been waiting for the details and now here they are! Yet another new initiative from the Government on Education. This time they are calling it the The Children’s Plan. This is a £1bn 10-year strategy for education, welfare and play.
It includes changes to the primary school curriculum and perhaps the best part of it is the possible end of the Sats tests in England by 2009.
However, there will be tougher targets for primary schools – with the aim of 90% of 11-year-old pupils reaching the expected benchmarks for English and maths.
The plan makes clear that a current pilot for a different type of test for 11-year-olds “could lead to the end of the key stage tests by 2009”. But Mr Balls emphasised that school league tables would continue.
So, it looks like testing will continue but there are plenty of other bright ideas in this Plan.
Read more….

Free Y2 maths worksheet: Understand subtraction

calculate graphicThis maths worksheet gives a little bit of practice with subtracting a single digit from a 2-digit number, keeping below 30. There is a number line to help.

There are a range of mental arithmetic strategies that can be used for these, depending on the numbers. For example 25 – 5 is straightforward, however 23 -6 could prove much trickier and the number line could be used in several ways.

Some children will just count back 6 to reach 17. Others might recognise that 6 is 3 + 3 so they take 3 to make 20 and then take another 3 to make 17.

Free Y2 maths worksheet: Understand subtraction (pg 1)

News: More maths, less testing

n overhaul of national testing and school league tables in recognition that the system of high-stakes testing has become too nerve-racking for children.

Polly Curtis, education editor of The Guardian writes today that the Government will pave the way for an overhaul of national testing and school league tables in recognition that the system of high-stakes testing has become too nerve-racking for children. Ministers will give the go-ahead to introduce a form of tests which allow children two attempts and put more emphasise on teacher assessment – provided the results of a pilot, begun last week, bear out their high hopes.

More space will be made for maths and reading, as well as a review of the SATs. More on this later in the week.

Free Y1 maths worksheet: Understand subtraction

This maths worksheet uses the subtraction sign with numbers up to 10. The sign for subtraction could well be new to children of this age.

calculate graphicThis maths worksheet uses the subtraction sign with numbers up to 10. The sign for subtraction could well be new to children of this age. Think of the statement 7 – 4 as a sentence which can be read as:

7 minus 4

7 subtract 4

or 7 take away 4.

A number line can be helpful here. To take 4 from 7 start with the larger number which is 7, and then make four hops back, first to 6, then 5, then 4 then 3.

There is a number line on the worksheet, but it would be better to provide your own.

Many children will use their fingers to count the number of hops backwards they have made, there is nothing wrong with this. Alternatively they can mark the hops backwards on the number line itself.

Free Y1 maths worksheet: Use the subtraction sign (pg 1)

Free Y6 maths worksheet: Reflective symmetry

y the end of year 6 children should know and be able to read, write and use the following words:

Mirror line, line of symmetry, line symmetry, symmetrical, reflect,
reflection, translation, axis of symmetry, reflective symmetry.

shape imageBy the end of year 6 children should know and be able to read, write and use the following words:

Mirror line, line of symmetry, line symmetry, symmetrical, reflect, reflection, translation, axis of symmetry, reflective symmetry.

They should be able to test for symmetry using a mirror and by folding.

Children should be able to sketch the reflection of a simple shape in a mirror line where none or only some of the edges of the shape are parallel or perpendicular to the mirror line. This maths worksheet contains the types of question that often come up in their SATs at the end of the year and often prove to be one of the questions that large numbers of children get wrong. A mirror really is very useful for this.

Free Y6 maths worksheet: Reflective symmetry (pg 1)

Free Y5 maths worksheet: Making shapes and patterns

This maths worksheet looks at a series of nets to see which can be folded to make an open box or open cube.

shape imageSpatial awareness can differ enormously between children and indeed adults. This maths worksheet looks at a series of nets to see which can be folded to make an open box or open cube. Some children will be able to do this immediately. Others may well need to cut out the shapes and make them to see if it is possible.

Free Y5 maths worksheet: Making shapes and patterns (pg 1)

News: We’ve been obsessed with league tables.

At last a national paper that talks sense about the SAT results and has refused to publish the results as a league table.

Well done The Guardian

At last a national paper that talks sense about the SAT results and has refused to publish the results as a league table.

They say,

“We’ve been obsessed with league tables. We like lists of favourite foods, top ten Christmas presents, the worst theme tunes ever and, for the past 16 years, we’ve been hooked on primary school leagues tables: lists of the top-scoring schools, the most improved, and the “value-added” table.

Not this year. The Guardian has decided against publishing school-by-school primary school results for 11-year-olds in English, maths and science in league-table format. On the following pages, we present a breakdown of the key stage 2 results for every primary school in England, geographically and alphabetically, but with no ranking lists.”

Read more

News: SAT results out: children plateau between 11 and 14.

News: SAT results out: children plateau between 11 and 14.

Results of this year’s national tests for England show 77% of 11-year-olds reached the standard expected by the government, up one percentage point from last year. Not really sure what this means.

Perhaps more interesting is that a Manchester University study has shown that progress in maths stalls in the early secondary school years once the dreaded SATs are over with little progress made in year 7. I can well believe this to be true for many reasons: short term cramming in Primary Schools with at least one hour of maths every day followed by less maths in Secondary School. Another factor could be low expectations in Secondary Schools as children do again much of the work carried out in Year 6.

More info