Category: Maths Resources

Resource of the Week: Bar charts

Now we are coming on to more familiar territory for most people when we think of graphs: the bar chart or bar graph. Here the vertical bars represent the number of people going out on a boat. Each bar is completely separate from the others.

It is important that children get used to naming the horizontal and vertical axes and that these axes should always be named.

The hardest part of interpreting this bar chart involves the number of people shown on the vertical axis. The numbers go up in twenties, but of course there are intermediate values. The number of people on the 11.00 boat is more difficult to read and only a close approximation between 120 and 140 can be made. As it looks just less than half way to the next interval an estimate of just below 130 would be very accurate.

It is important not to just look at the graph but to also make some suggestions as to why the results are as they are. Why did the 12.00 boat have the least number of people on it, but the 1.00 boat had the most?

The second worksheet has similar problems, but the numbers on the vertical axis go up in tens rather than twenties.

Free Y4 maths worksheet: Bar charts (pg 1)

Free Y4 maths worksheet: Bar charts (pg 2)

Counting and Number in year 2

A great deal is expected of children by the end of Year 2 and we have some great maths worksheets to help them on their way.

By the end of the year children are expected to read and write 2-digit numbers in figures and words, describe and extend number sequences and recognise odd and even numbers.

They should continue to gain confidence with counting in singe steps up to at least 100 and begin to count in twos, fives and tens. Estimating a number of objects and rounding 2-digit numbers to the nearest ten are also introduced in Year 2.

There are a number of pages on counting on and back in ones and tens, finding missing numbers on number squares as well as recognising simple fractions.

Go to our year 2 Counting and Number worksheets

Short multiplication (multiplying by 3)

Today I have published a page of multiplication questions which can be used to reinforce knowledge of the 3 times table as well as practising the short method of multiplication. it is called the short method because it does not involve writing to answer to each part of the question on a new line and then adding the totals, rather it is all done on one line. The main thing to remember is to carry the extra tens into the tens column and remember to add them into the final answer. A page at the start shows how to go about using this method.

The primary Framework for Mathematics is very keen to emphasise that written methods of multiplication should only be used when children have established a sound foundation of mental methods.

This page can be found in the Four Rules, Multiplication category, along with lots more.

Short multiplication for multiplying by 3

Resource of the Week: Completing number squares

year2-number-square-numbers-2

This week we are highlighting a Year 2 worksheet on number squares. This is our second in a series for year 2 children where they have to complete the missing numbers in a 100 square. Some of the squares have been removed from the rectangles which, curiously, seems to make this task harder than when working with a complete rectangle. This is good practice for children who are not confident with counting up to 100. Don’t be surprised if children stumble over counting up to 100 out loud. It is something we often take for granted, but of course, has to be learned and many children find it quite difficult, especially when crossing the tens boundaries (e.g. from 79 to 80).

Thanks to URBrainy for letting me use this page. They are by no means the best site around for Key Stage 1 and you can try it out for nothing here.

Missing numbers on a number (p 2)

Maths worksheet: the triple jump

The Triple Jump is a fascinating event, combining great athleticism with co-ordination. Originally known as the hop, step and jump it is an excellent activity to carry out with children using a standing start rather than a run up. The American, James Connolly was one of the early competitors, winning in Athens in 1896.

Triple jumpers take off on the ‘hop’ stage and land on the same foot. They then take one step onto the other foot before a final jump, landing with two feet into the sand. The rules concerning the landing are the same as for the long jump with the nearest mark to the board being the distance measured.

The distances jumped really are amazing and it is well worth marking out on a field exactly how far they jump. For example our greatest triple jumper, Jonathan Edwards holds the World Record with a jump of 18 metres and 29 centimetres.

The worksheet looks at some of the greatest ever winners of the Triple Jump as well as completing a graph showing the distances jumped and would be best suited to upper primary children and can be found in our Year 5 Handling Data section.

Triple jump men

More subtraction using the standard method

I have had several requests for another page of subtracting 2-digits from 3-digits, a worksheet that was published about a month ago. So here it is!

The benefit of the worksheet is that the questions keep to fairly small numbers but increase in difficulty and can show clearly whether children have fully grasped the standard method or whether they need more practice.

The last three questions aer especially tricky and if children are getting these correct it would suggest that they have really understood the concepts.

If these are set as homework make it very clear that all working out needs to be shown (e.g. hundreds crossed out and made one smaller and adjusting 10 tens etc). Of course I see no reason why children should not use a calculator to see if they are correct and if incorrect to try and work out where they have gone wrong.

Standard subtraction of 2-digits from 3-digits (2)

Long jump maths worksheet

One of the great athletic competitions is the Men’s Long Jump. It has been a part of the athletics events since their beginnings. It demands a combination of speed, power and lift.

As with the Women’s Long Jump, the rules are strict; for example no part of the foot must land over the board and there is a special strip of plasticine to detect if this happens. In theory a gymnast could jump further by taking off with two feet and possibly doing a somersault, but both these actions are banned.

Great Britain has had some success in the Long Jump, with Lynn Davies from Wales winning in Tokyo in 1964. Perhaps the most famous Long Jump event occurred in 1968 where Bob Beamon smashed the World Record with a jump of 8.90 metres. Try marking that on a path outside and see just how far it is! His record lasted many years before Mike Powell broke it in 1991.

This worksheet looks at some of these famous long jumpers and the distances they achieved. There are some tricky subtraction of decimals to answer, plus a graph to create to show distances jumped.

Long jump men

More written addition worksheets

I have had a number of requests for more pages that let children practise the written method of addition, but without making the questions too hard. It is the method which is important to become familiar with. All the rest will depend on how well children know number bonds and can apply them.

The method is to add the units first, put the units in the answer, and ‘carry’ the ten into the tens column. Then add the tens and continue in the same way into the hundreds. So, for a question such as 278 + 546 the steps are:

Step 1: add the units
8 + 6 = 14
Put the 4 in the units below the question.
Then place the one ten below the answer in the tens column.

Step 2: add the tens
7 (tens) + 4 (tens) + 1 (ten) = 12 (tens)
Place the 2 (tens) in the tens column and the 1(hundred) in the hundreds column below the answer.

Step 3: add the hundreds
2 (hundreds) + 5 (hundreds) + 1 (hundred) = 8 (hundreds)
Place the 9 (hundreds) in the hundreds column.

Note: there may not always be tens or hundreds to carry.

Standard addition of two 3-digit numbers

Men’s 100m maths worksheet

If there is one event which people look forward to it is the 100m. Great Britain has had a fair share of success, including wins by Harold Abrahams (remember Chariots of Fire), Allan Wells and Linford Christie.

There has also been great drama and controversy, such as when Ben Johnson set a World Record, only to be banned for drug taking.

This worksheet is quite tricky. It starts with some questions concerning the times of various winners. It then goes on to ask what average speeds (metres per second) these selected athletes were running at, as well as completing a chart showing where they would all be at the end of the race if they had all run in the same race against each other.

100m men maths worksheet

Year 3 maths worksheet: revise adding two teen numbers

Here is a revision page on adding two teen numbers mentally and is probably best suited to year 3 children but could also be very useful for older children who are not confident with adding 2-digit numbers.

As I have said before, it is interesting that when we add ‘in our heads’ we often do it in a very different way than if we were using pencil and paper methods. For example 15 + 16 can be done several ways, non of which is significantly better or worse than another.

method 1: add the two tens to make 20. Add 5 to make 25 and then add (or count on) 6 to make 31.

method 2: add 10 to 16 to make 26 and then add 5 to make 31.

method 3: add 10 to 15 to make 25 and then add 6 to make 31.

method 4: recognise that 15 + 16 is nearly double 15 which is 30 and then make an adjustment of 1 to make 31.

Revise addition of two teen numbers