Maths: Tips for Parents

Kindergarten - Whole Number - Weeks 3-5

Go on a number hunt together and discover places where numbers are used such as:

• a clock
• television
• computer keyboard
• calendar
• telephones
• car licence plates

Counting the beats to your child’s favourite song and getting them to clap their hands or stamp their feet to the beat is a fun way to get your child counting. 

Counting with your child at home

• Count with your child the number of buttons as you do up a cardigan or shirt.
• Encourage your child to count the number of pegs used to hang out the washing.
• Count the number of steps from the front door to the letterbox.
• Count the number of eggs in a carton, and again after some have been removed.
• Count the number of times you and your child can throw a ball to each other without dropping it.
• Read and talk about stories and rhymes that use numbers.
• Sing songs and nursery rhymes that include numbers such as Five Little Ducks and Baa Baa Black Sheep.
• Have your child count as far as they are able to go and then encourage them to join you while you continue counting.

Year 1/2 - Addition and Subtraction - Weeks 1-3

Combining and separating quantities focuses on:

§   using addition and subtraction to solve problems.

You can help your Year 1 and Year 2 child at home by:

§   practising quick recall of double numbers to 10. Use double domino tiles to extend thinking to doubling numbers to 20

§   finding and discussing numbers in everyday life that are not meant to be used with place value, such as phone numbers, pin numbers, bus numbers and postcodes

§   using number bonds, or ‘friends of 10’, to assist with simple addition and subtraction problems. For example, 4 + 6 = 10, 6 + 4 = 10, 10 - 4 = 6, 10 - 6 = 4

How To Teach Number Bonds? | Maths – No Problem!

§   using number bonds to solve addition problems by making groups of 10. For example, the problem of 26 + 8 can be solved by taking 4 from the 8 and adding it to the 26. The new problem of 30 + 4 is much easier to solve

§   solving problems using their knowledge of doubles. For example, the problem 8 + 9 can been seen as double 8 (8 + 8) which is 16. Add one more to make 17

§   building number bond knowledge to understand ‘friends of 20’. These number pairs are 11 and 9, 12 and 8, 13 and 7, 14 and 6, 15 and 5.

Year 3/4- Addition and Subtraction - Weeks 2-4

There are lots of quick and easy ways that you can help your child to understand

addition and subtraction. Here are just a few everyday ideas to support your child’s

learning:

1. Use the language of addition and subtraction

Using the correct mathematical vocabulary will get your child used to deconstructing word problems, and will make them familiar with the kinds of words they will hear in school.

Try to use mathematical language like add, altogether, more, plus, total, and sum

when adding. When your child finds the answer to an addition calculation,

encourage them to use the word total or sum. If they talk about the fact that you can add numbers in any order and get the same answer, encourage them to use the word commutative.

There is also a lot of mathematical vocabulary related to subtraction. When your child tells you the answer to a subtraction calculation, encourage them to refer to this as the difference. For example, ‘7 – 3 = 4’ could be read as ‘the difference between 7 and 3 is 4’. They should also try to use the language take away, subtract, minus, less, fewer, and so on.

Try writing out the addition and subtraction symbols (‘+’ and ‘–’) along with the

related words on cards (for example, add, altogether, more, plus, total, sum, take

away, subtract, minus, less, and fewer). Help your child to link the words to the

correct symbol. If necessary, help them to read some of the words.

2. Try calculating mentally

It’s important for your child to develop their mental calculation skills. It is useful in

everyday life, especially when technology (and paper) may not be available or

appropriate, such as when you are shopping. Confidence in mental maths will help

your child when making quick estimates and checking their calculations, too.

Encourage your child to use different methods when calculating mentally, such as

counting on, counting back, and partitioning numbers. Your child should use their

knowledge of place value, rounding, and inverse operations to make estimates and

check their answers.

If your child is working on a problem and they announce the answer, ask them to

explain how they solved the problem. They could draw pictures or diagrams to help

them explain their method.

3. Try lots of different methods

Encourage your child to use different methods for solving addition and subtraction

problems. These could include:

• Partitioning numbers into parts to add or subtract. For example, to solve the

problem 243 + 65, we could partition each number. Encourage your child to

explain this to you, and perhaps model it to them first:

‘I partitioned 243 into 200, 40, and 3.

Then, I partitioned 65 into 60 and 5.

Then, I added the ones: 5 + 3 which equal 8.

Then, I added the tens: 40 + 60 = 100.

Then, I have the 200.

So, I added the 200 to the 100, and then added the 8, to get a total of 308.’

• Drawing pictures.

• Using number lines or hundred squares.

• Using written methods of column addition and subtraction.

Your child will understand subtraction as ‘taking away’ as well as ‘difference’.

Methods could include:

• Placing groups of objects into two rows to compare and find the difference.

• Finding the difference between two numbers by counting back or counting up.

For example, 27 – 18 could be interpreted as ‘what is the difference between 27

and 18?’ Your child may count back from 27 to 18 to find the difference of 9, or

count up from 18 to 27 to find the difference of 9.

Encourage your child to partition numbers over 10 that you see around you – in

shops, adverts, game scores, and so on. This kind of short, regular practice is perfect

for getting them into the habit of calculating mentally.

Year 5/6 - Decimals and Percentages - Weeks 3-5

* Visualise with Real-life Examples: Help your child make connections between benchmark fractions, decimals, and percentages by using real-life examples. For instance, when shopping, discuss how a 10% discount means paying 90% of the original price, or how a 25% discount means paying 75%. Encourage your child to mentally calculate these percentages to understand their practical implications.

* Practice Conversion Skills: Encourage your child to practice converting between fractions, decimals, and percentages regularly. Provide them with opportunities to work with different numbers and scenarios. 

* Problem-Solving with Discounts: Engage your child in problem-solving activities that involve calculating percentage discounts of 10%, 25%, and 50%. Give them scenarios such as buying items on sale or calculating discounts on a total bill. Encourage them to apply their understanding of percentages to solve these problems. You can gradually increase the complexity of the scenarios as they become more confident in their skills.