One of our main aims is for children to be competent with numbers.
Pupils are introduced to a new mathematical concept through the use of concrete resources (e.g. fruit, Dienes blocks etc). When they are comfortable solving problems with physical aids, they are given problems with pictures – usually pictorial representations of the concrete objects they were using.
Then they are asked to solve problems where they only have the abstract i.e. numbers or other symbols. Building these steps across a lesson can help pupils better understand the relationship between numbers and the real world, and therefore helps secure their understanding of the mathematical concept they are learning.
Most Second level learners are ready to move on from concrete materials and focus on pictorial and abstract methods. An increasing understanding of number allows transitioning through the approaches.
It is vital to have a variety of strategies to solve addition and subtraction problems.
Here are some examples:
At second level learners will also work with numbers up to/beyond one Million, decimal, percentages and fractions as well as negative numbers:
Take a look at this amazing website, have a go at the games or quizzes!
It is vital to use concrete material as long as they are needed!
Concrete resources, also known as manipulatives, are physical objects that children can pick up and manipulate to improve their maths knowledge. A variety of concrete maths resources can help children to understand the relationship between numbers and the number system.
Another important skill is to be able to count forward and backwards from different starting points such as
Can you count from 18-24, 39-46 or
Please count backwards from 98.
This will enable learners to be able to count on from a number to add another collection or count back for subtracting purposes.
To hide the one or more collection helps to gain confidence:
(Empty) Number lines and Hundred squares are very helpful to gain a good understanding of number.
Take a look at this amazing website and have a go playing the games or quizzes!
Hi and welcome to the second section of our MENTAL AGILITY rainbow this term!
Until Christmas our school will focus on ADDITION and SUBTRACTION! Please find attached activities children work on in class. We would really appreciate your support in practising them at home too!
focus we were keen to show you how hard we worked on
across the school:
having fun with numbers to 5, 10 (and beyond)!
experimenting with Place Value arrow cards and partitioning numbers into
100s, 10s and 1s
Place Value arrow cards represent numbers in expanded notation. The cards overlap to form multi-digit numbers.
and consolidation with online games.
lots of practice with visualising and learning important principles of seeing patterns, anchoring numbers and enforce number bonds with the hands on teaching resource REKENREKS.
and Ten frames – to help develop a strong number sense! Ten frames are very useful in helping learners visualise numbers and build a good understanding of the relationships between numbers.
fun with board games and
using DIENES resources to represent 1,10,100 and 1000
allowing the learners to understand the relationship between the different columns on a place value grid:
using a variety of resources to identify, write and partition numbers up to 1 000 000 including Place value charts to help find the place value of each digit based on its position in a number.
using Place value discs including decimal numbers to tenths.
Place value disks help learners compare the value of each place, like that the tens place is ten times the ones place.
focusing on rounding to 2 decimal places.
We are excited to get started with Addition and subtraction next. See you soon! 🙂
Royal Mile Primary School 