TOP TEN TIPS FOR PARENTS TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILDREN IN MATHEMATICS

1. Help them to learn their tables and have quick recall of all tables up to 10 x 10 and related division problems – eg how many 6s in 42?

2. Practise number bonds – eg what do you add to 45 to get 100?

3. Encourage them to show all working out when doing homework

4. Encourage them to complete homework to a good standard

5. Ensure they have all the correct equipment for maths lessons

6. Use every day situations to practise maths – eg estimating the bill when in the supermarket: is the large size better value etc

7. Encourage a positive attitude to maths. Make maths fun!

8. Reinforce where maths is used in everyday life including in the work place

9. Encourage the use of the mymaths website, address www.mymaths.co.uk for revision, practise and fun!

10. Encourage children to get involved in solving puzzles – eg Suduko, Logic puzzles, games of strategy. Puzzles can be found on the NRICH website www.nrich.org

Making Maths Fun

Spend time with your children on simple board games, puzzles, activities that encourage Maths skills. We all use Maths in everyday life, whether we realise it or not. Young children playing with water or a sandbox are learning concepts of mass, volume, density, weight, measurement, space. The kitchen is filled with tasty opportunities to teach children about fractions; following a cooking recipe teaches concepts of  weighing, measuring, logical reasoning, following instructions. Calculating money, filling a car with petrol, estimating the length of a car journey, estimating time intervals,  are just some of our normal everyday activities which require Mathematical reasoning.

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