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Intent
Intent
We believe that a high-quality mathematics education provides a foundation for understanding the world; it is preparation for the next step in a child’s educational journey & creates opportunities for them to make well-informed choices later on in life. It is our aim that children are secure and fluent with the 4 basic operations and skills for their stage of development by the end of the academic year. This will support their ability to reason mathematically and develop an appreciation of the beauty and power of mathematics and a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject.
Implementation
Implementation
At Cavell, we are developing our curriculum to suit our children. We will be teaching topics in 2- 3 week blocks. These blocks of learning aim to build upon children’s prior learning and offer opportunities to revisit areas to consolidate skills and make links to prior learning. By building explicitly on prior learning, and teaching in shorter blocks, we believe that children will be able to identify patterns and sequences in topics and develop firm mathematical understanding for the future.
This long term planning is supported by the NCETM’s Spine Materials, White Rose Hub & Maths No Problem. These resources all help to develop children’s conceptual understanding and support fluency & reasoning.
Planning is always pitched towards each child meeting their age related expectations (ARE). Where children are working below ARE, content from previous year groups may be appropriate. Children working at greater depth will be challenged through appropriate enrichment learning activities related to the main learning intention.
Our steps to success
Our steps to success
To support the teaching and learning of maths at Cavell, we have created a maths team covering EYFS, KS1 and KS2. The team meets regularly to support the development of the curriculum and produces a topic overview, which recommends resources and representations to aid the teaching of these topics.
At Cavell, we aim for our children to foster positive attitudes towards Maths by developing confidence, independence, resilience and co-operation skills. The use of manipulatives is integral to the concrete – pictorial – abstract approach and thus planned into our learning and teaching. Children build on the concrete approach by using pictorial representations, which can then be used to reason and solve problems. Objects and pictures are used to demonstrate and visualise abstract ideas, alongside numbers and symbols. With the foundations firmly laid, children can move to an abstract approach using numbers and key concepts with confidence.
In school, we take every opportunity to support children to grow in confidence, ability and resilience and we know that you want the best for your children too.
In class, we break down instructions and tasks to small, succinct steps, so that every child can be successful. We also, subscribe to several interactive maths programmes (dependent on your child's age), which can be accessed from home.
Click on any of the images to open the programme and login.
Click on any of the images to open the programme and login.
Whether it's skip counting, singing, pattern spotting or repeat addition, times table practice and rapid recall aid calculation throughout Primary School and beyond!
I often count in my times tables whilst I'm waiting in traffic or walking to school. Try using some of these songs at home and test each other to see how well you can do!
2 x table
3 x table
4 x table
5 x table
6 x table
7 x table
8 x table
9 x table
10 x table
11 x table
12 x table
How to teach instant recall across all times tables
Not all children will need the suggested structure below, however it will help those who struggle to convert quick counting into instantly recallable facts.
The examples below are taken from third space learning.com. This example is for the 6 times table but the principle can be applied to any times table.
Teaching 6 Times Table step by step
Fire just 1 x 6, 2 x 6, 5 x 6, 10 x 6 at them first. This will build up on their most secure existing table facts
Add in 3 x 6, 4 x 6 when step 1 is frequently recalled correctly and instantly
Build up with 6 x 6, 7 x 6, 8 x 6
When looking at 9 x 6, 11 x 6 and 12 x 6, children should:
Look at finding 10 x 6 and adjust
Be guided to remember what the last 2 numbers were in the sequence they learnt (66, 72)
Add in related division facts. For some children, this step can be integrated from step 1 onwards. For others, they will need time to develop recall of multiplication facts first before adding this in.
When giving children quick fire questions to recall, particularly in the early stages of each multiplication table, ensure they are given the opportunity to see the calculation rather than just hear it.
Using technology for quick fire recall
Quick fire recall is the perfect opportunity to involve educational technology. Two of the most popular options out there are Times Tables Rockstars (which all pupils in years 3-6 have a school login for) and Hit the Button (free).
10 fun tips for teaching times tables effectively
10 fun tips for teaching times tables effectively
1. Use times tables chanting
This is a simple yet effective way to drill multiplication knowledge. It may not be the most glamorous and exciting way of teaching times tables, but it is a great place to start!
2. Make times tables fun with songs and multiplication games
Our favourite times tables song is Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball (the 8x table!) and they're are loads more to try out above.
3. Make use of times tables grids
It might be a simple technique, but it is one that works! There are examples below that you may print at home- or of course, children can simply draw these out. Not only will they enjoy the challenge of filling in a times table grid but it will encourage them to practise, practise, practise! For an extra challenge, try timing yourself each time and see if you can beat your own time, or try the mixed up tables grids!
4. Use concrete resources
It doesn’t matter whether it is pasta, counters or even coins, just having an actual object (concrete resource) to help children work out times tables can be massively beneficial and helps children to realise the commutativity of multiplication. ie. 4x5= 5x4.
5. Get active outside
Use pavement chalk to create a numbered maze and hop your way to times table recall. Play hoop and ball games and create a point system that increases in a times table.
6. Use their interests to engage them with times tables
Follow your child's interests and look to link their learning to things they're interested in. One of our favourite examples of this is the BBC, who have found a way to use football mascots to teach times tables.
7. Use tricks that may be common knowledge to us, but will be revolutionary to young minds
5,6,7,8.....7x8 is 56
'I ate and ate till I was sick on the floor! 8x8 is 64'
The 9 times table can be shown easily on your fingers (you don't need to use the finger bandage, it's just for illustrative purposes!)
8. Use quick fire times tables quizzes
Whilst you shouldn’t make quizzes regular feature, they can be a great way to help children get to grips with their times tables. Got 5 minutes spare when walking to swimming lessons? Get a quickfire times tables quiz in.
9. Ask short division based questions
Simple division questions such as “55 divided by 11” and “30 divided by 3” can help children realise that times tables and division are closely linked, and can be used in tandem when trying to solve a maths problem.
10. Use times tables worksheets and tests
Your children may rebel if you use these too often, but regular quizzing with times tables tests that children mark themselves can help you and they build up a picture of their overall strengths and gaps in their times tables.
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