Maths help for parents of children aged 5 to 11
Our first ‘One to Nine’ puzzle proved to be very popular so here is another. Aimed at upper juniors, (9-11 yr old) there are a few points to consider when getting started with these puzzles.
Firstly, the rules of Bodmas do not apply; the sentence is calculated in the order shown.
Secondly, each digit can only be used once.
Thirdly, if looking at a sentence such as a x b – c = 51, a x b can only be a maximum of 60 as the largest number to subtract is 9.
This is the follow up maths worksheet to the earlier explanation on how to estimate on a number line up to 10 000.
Most of the work on number lines in year 6 involve using decimals so this is a good chance to make sure that large whole numbers are understood. All answers are approximate but a guess can be considered good if it is about 50 either side of the answer given. It is also worth noting that because the scale used is about 1.5 cm for a thousand and that a millimetre represents over 60, to get within 50 the approximation needs to be within a mm on the scale! Very tricky!
Next week we have a follow up maths worksheet to the earlier explanation on how to estimate on a number line up to 10 000.
Most of the work on number lines in year 6 involve using decimals so this is a good chance to make sure that large whole numbers are understood. All answers are approximate but a guess can be considered good if it is about 50 either side of the answer given. Most suited to Year 6 (10/11 years old).
Our first ‘One to Nine’ puzzle proved to be very popular so we will be publishing another. Excellent quick activity for a wet break as the autumn term approaches.
We will also be publishing another in our calculator series, this time for the 8 times table. The grid has a selection of multiples of 8 up to 10 x 8. The idea is to play with a partner, choose a square and then enter a number on the calculator that you think will produce the number in the square when multiples by 8. if successful place a counter on the square. The aim is to try and get four in a row.
Remember that if the 8 times table is not known, multiplying by 8 can be achieved by doubling, doubling and doubling again.
This page will be found in our year 5 section under Knowing Number Facts.
This is the second in our revision sheets for dividing decimals by 10 or 100, ‘in your head’. A good understanding of place value is needed for this as there is little to do apart from move the numbers to the right. One place to the right divides by 10. Two places to the right divides by 100. Remember to put a zero in the units if there are no whole units: eg 8.7 divided by 10 is 0.87 not .87, as it would be very easy to miss the decimal and read this as 87.
This is the second page which looks in detail at a 1-100 number square and is excellent practice at understanding place value as well as counting.
A small section of the whole number square, just 4 by 3 is taken and most of the numbers removed. The skill is in replacing the missing numbers.
This can be done in a variety of ways. Probably the easiest way is to work across as each number is one more than the number to the left. One of the more interesting ways is to work down as each number is 10 more than the number above.
Missing numbers on a number square (pg 2)
Many more KS1 resources can be found at urbrainy.com
By Year 3 children should be familiar with the names of 5 and 6 sided shapes: pentagons and hexagons. Usually these shapes are seen in a regular form and children do not always recognise them when they are irregular. This mini investigation will help with this. A geoboard is a great help. Schools already have these, but at home it is easy enough to make one – just 9 short nails evenly spaced in a block of wood and some elastic bands are all that is needed.
When doing this it can be quite tricky to recognise two shapes which are the same but just rotated.
This is a much trickier exercise than it first appears. Firstly, children need to be confident with reading large numbers and counting in thousands. Secondly they need to be able to visualise marks on a scale.
Only the zero and 10 000 are marked on the number line so it would be a good idea to jot down each of the thousands before trying to estimate where the arrows are pointing.
Then it is a good idea to work out if the arrow is pointing above or below the half way mark and then make an intelligent estimate according to this.
Next week we deal with larger numbers and estimating on a number line. This is a much trickier exercise than it first appears. Firstly, children need to be confident with reading large numbers and counting in thousands. Secondly they need to be able to visualise marks on a scale.
By Year 3 children should be familiar with the names of 5 and 6 sided shapes: pentagons and hexagons. Usually these shapes are seen in a regular form and children do not always recognise them when they are irregular. Next week’s mini investigation will help with this. A geoboard is a great help. Schools already have these, but at home it is easy enough to make one – just 9 short nails evenly spaced in a block of wood and some elastic bands are all that is needed.
We will also be publishing the second in our Year 6 revision sheets for dividing decimals by 10 or 100, ‘in your head’. A good understanding of place value is needed for this as there is little to do apart from move the numbers to the right. One place to the right divides by 10. Two places to the right divides by 100.
This is the next in our series of calculator activities and is certainly one of the hardest. It looks at multiples of 7, including numbers above 10 and will test children’s knowledge of the 7 times table to the full. Again, the idea is to play with a partner and cover 4 squares in a row, either across, down or diagonally.
This can be found in Year 5, under Knowing and Using Number facts.
The relationship between fractions and division is one which many children fail to grasp. Put simply, one fifth of 30 is equivalent to 30 divided by 5, or written as a fraction 30 over 5.
It can be a great help to see a fraction as a division calculation. 1/2 can also be thought of as one divided by two.
This page takes a quick look at this and should show whether your child does understand this important relationship.