Maths How do we teach it? Why do we teach it like that? What do the written methods look
like? What can you do at home to help?
How do our children learn in Maths lessons at
Orleans? Encouraged to use mental calculation methods Practise recall of number facts to become
quicker and more accurate They are more aware of the strategies they
use to calculate Focus on correct use of vocabulary and talk for
learning Real-life, contextual learning Practical and engaging lessons – fascinators!
CB's
‘I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.’
(A Chinese proverb)
‘It just doesn’t look like it did in my day.’
Until fairly recently, maths was taught using Victorian era methods.
Were you one of the lucky ones?
Logical and strong with numbers?
Vast numbers of clerks to perform calculations every day.
Victorian Times
Today, calculators and spreadsheets can do this car quicker, so the need for everybody to be able to do big calculations by hand has largely disappeared
That’s not to say we don’t need strong number skills!
We are inundated by numbers all the time…
Probably not…but we do need to know that:
27 x 43 is roughly 30 x 40 and…
that this is roughly 1,200
It's partly the need to have a good feel for numbers that is behind the modern methods.
Do we all need to be able to work out 27 x 43 precisely with a pen and paper?
National Numeracy Strategy 1999
• The revolution in the teaching of maths at primary school kicked in with this strategy.
• The emphasis moved away from blindly following rules (remember borrowing one from the next column and paying back?) towards techniques a child understood
The Aim
for children to do mathematics in their heads, and if the numbers are too large, to use pencil and paper to avoid losing track.
To do this children need to learn quick and efficient methods, including mental methods and appropriate written methods.
Mathematics is foremost an activity of the mind; written calculations are an
aid to that mental activity.
Learning written methods is not
the ultimate aim.
We want children to ask themselves:
1. Can I do this in my head?
2. Can I do this in my head with the help of drawings or jottings?
3. Do I need to use an expanded or compact written method?
4. Do I need a calculator?
A sledgehammer to crack a nut!
1 0 0 0- 7 9 9 3
10 1199
16- 9
7
01
97x 100
00000
970097007 5 6
5
0 80
• Y3 Programme:• To add mentally combinations of 1-digit and 2-
digit numbers• Develop written methods to record, support or
explain addition of 2-digit and 3-digit numbers
• Y4 Programme:• To add mentally pairs of 2-digit numbers• To refine and use efficient written methods to
add 2-digit and 3-digit numbers and £.p
Addition – progression
Use the number line to work these out…
242 + 136 = 378
242 342
+ 100 + 30 +6
372 378
• 67 + 48 = • 346 + 237 = • 3241 + 1471 =
Subtraction - progression
Y3 Programme: To subtract mentally combinations of 1-digit and 2-
digit numbers Develop written methods to record, support or
explain subtraction of 2-digit and 3-digit numbers
Y4 Programme: To subtract mentally pairs of 2-digit numbers To refine and use efficient written methods to
subtract 2-digit and 3-digit numbers and £.p
Number line• Subtraction as finding the difference
• Jump to next multiple of 10• Count the jumps
10 + 4 + 2 = 16
34 – 18 =
3418 20 30+2 + 10 + 4
Y3 Programme:•Multiply one digit and two digit numbers by 10 or 100 and describe the effect;•Derive and recall multiplication facts for the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10 times tables;•Use informal and practical methods to multiply two digit numbers e.g. 13 x 3.
Y4 Programme:•Multiply numbers to 1000 by 10 and then 100 and describe the effect;•Derive and recall multiplication facts up to 10 x 10;•Use written methods to multiply a two digit number by a one digit number e.g. 15 x 9.
Multiplication - progression
Number lineMultiplication as repeated addition
4 x 2 = 2 + 2 + 2 + 2So, 2 x 4 = 8
0 2 4
4 x 2
6 8
+2
+2
+2
+2
Y3 Programme: Use practical and informal written methods to
divide two-digit numbers (e.g. 50 ÷ 4);
Y4 Programme: Develop and use written methods to record,
support and explain division of two-digit numbers by a one-digit number, including division with remainders (e.g. 98 ÷ 6)
Division - progression