Month: April 2013

Division: 3-digit numbers divided by 8

Here is another page for practising the short division method, this time just using the eight times table. The key to this method is, of course, a good knowledge of the 8 times table, as without this the solution can take an awfully long time and lots of errors may occur. The table has been written out as a helpful starting point, so that the method can be concentrated on.

For example: 8)659

‘How many eights in 65?’

‘8 times 8 is 64, 9 times 8 is 72 which is too much.’

‘8 goes into 65, 8 times with 1 left over.’

Write the 8 in the answer above the 5.

Write the remainder 1 beside the 9 units, making 19.

‘How many eights in 19?’

‘2 times 8 is 16.’

‘8 goes into 19, 2 times with 3 left over.’

Write the 2 in the answer in the units and write rem 3 next to it.

Answer: 82 remainder 3

Division: 3 digits by 8

 

Measuring in kilometres

shape imageChildren in the UK get far less experience at using kilometres than most Euoropeans because we have decided to keep with the mile for most of our longer measuring. Of course this is a nonsense: to start with a system using mm, cm and metres and then switch to a completely different system ie miles does not make any sense at all! Until our road signs are changed there is little hope of any improvement in this situation.

Whilst there are 1760 yards in a mile the much simpler metric system has the easy to calculate 1000 metres in a kilometre.

At this stage children should be beginning to write half a kilometre as 0.5 km but 1/2 km is acceptable. This free maths worksheet concentrates on writing half kilometres as decimal fractions.

Free Y3 maths worksheet: Measuring in kilometres (pg 3)

Reading and writing larger numbers

In Year 4 children are expected to be working with larger numbers, including thousands. However, it is often presumed that they can read and write these numbers without any practice. This is not the case, as many children find difficulty with this and often demonstrate the problem when asked to write down a number such as six thousand and five. They will write:

60005

What they have done here is write the whole of the 6000 and then added the 5 on at the end rather than 6 005.

When reading numbers it is best to start working them out from the first three numbers on the right  and block the numbers into hundreds, tens and units. Then do the same with the next three, remembering that they are hundreds tens and units of thousands – these even bigger numbers will come into Year 5.

It is a good idea to separate each block of HTU in some way: a popular convention in the UK is to use a comma or a small space.

Read and write larger numbers

Scalene triangles

scalene

A lot of work is done on triangles in Primary Schools and by year 5 and 6 most children are familiar with the properties of right angled triangles, equilateral triangles and isosceles trinagles. However, fewer children know about the scalene triangle. A scalene triangle is one which has no sides the same length and no equal angles. It is worth pointing out that right angled triangles could also be scalene if all the sides are different lengths.

Thanks to MathSphere Ltd for this worksheet: and there are many more similar pages, both on their site and part of the ‘It’s All Figured Out’ CD.

Go to our year 5 shape resources

Maths Board Game: Deadly red

Board games are a great way to improve logical thinking and maths concepts. This is a favourite of mine, which I call Deadly Red as the person who takes the red counter at the end loses!

Not a lot of equipment is needed, just:

12 coloured counters, one red counter and a playing board.

The rules of the game are straightforward:

This is a game for two people, but could be played by three.

Place a red counter on the middle dot and the 12 black counters on all the other dots.

The player going first takes away any number of counters – but they must all be from a straight line.

Then the second player has his/her turn.

The player who takes the red counter loses.

On the next page you will find a board which can be printed out onto card. It is a good idea to cut out and either laminate or ‘sticky back’ this board.

Alternative rules:

1.The player taking the last counter (red) is the winner.

It might appear at first that it is luck as to who wins, but with after playing a few times you might be able to work out a few strategies which will ensure you win most of the time.

Deadly red

Year 6 SAT questions

With SATs just a couple of weeks away now is the  time of year that schools intensify their year 6 revision.. The types of question that come up are fairly predictable and follow a similar layout each year. It is well worthwhile, therefore, to let your children have a practice at the style of questions they are likely to come across on the test.

We have a good selection of SAT questions which can be printed free of charge, including pages on:

writing numbers

making mathematical statements true

completing number sentences

number problems

time problems

symmetry

Why not have a look at our Year 6 ‘Booster’ pages for SATs?

Year 3 graphs

I have published a page on graphs for year 3 children today; thanks to urbrainy for this resource. The main difference with data handling from year 2 to year 3 is that the reading divisions becomes harder as they may no longer go up in ones. Hence children are having to find numbers half way between two others.

This graph looks at interpreting the data of a graph showing the most popular zoo animals. The second page  shows a blank tally chart so that children can collect their own data and then create their own graph.

Zoo animals graph

Resource of the Week: written addition

Written methods of calculating continue to prove to be some of the more popular pages on the site. This week I would like to highlight a Year 5 maths worksheet on written addition which is the second in a series showing children clearly how addition should be laid out and also giving them the opportunity to re-write questions from a horizontal lay out to a vertical layout. The hardest part of this is to ensure the numbers line up under each other, starting with the units on the far right. Squares can help with this in the early stages, but children should also get used to laying them out correctly without squared paper.

Rarely, if ever, will you find a SATs addition question which has been laid out already in the traditional, or standard method but it is expected that children use this method when solving a difficult addition calculation.

This pager can be found in our Year 5 Calculating section. Similar pages, with more detailed instructions, can also be found in our Four Rules section.

Written addition of several numbers (2)

Year 5 division problems: calculating mentally

Here is the second page which looks at Year 5 division problems that can be answered by using mental skills. The questions cover a range of concepts involving division, including:

remainders

divisibility rule for 9

and factors.

Watch out for errors that occur in questions such as number 9, where the number of whole lengths of wire is calculated and the remainder is irrelevant.

This page, and other similar worksheets can be found in the Year 5 calculating category.

Division problems (2)