Mathematics
Maths at Sacred Heart
This year, I’m excited to continue the excellent work of Louise and Dara in the Maths space. We’ve hit the ground running with daily, structured lessons that are already making a positive impact on our students’ learning.
Mathematical Fluency
This term, our focus is on developing mathematical fluency across all grade levels. Our younger students are strengthening their number recognition skills, while Year 6 students are working on increasing the speed and accuracy of their recall across the four major operations.
Mathematics fluency is crucial for students to quickly and accurately recall basic maths facts. This fluency enhances problem-solving skills and reduces cognitive load, enabling students to focus on more complex tasks, such as multi-step problems and algebra. Research shows that strong fact recall is directly linked to improved performance in mathematics, supporting both speed and accuracy. Without fluency, students can struggle with higher-level math, impacting their ability to reason, solve problems, and apply mathematics in real-world situations.
In our Maths lessons, students engage in daily review and dedicated practice time to strengthen their fluency. This consistent focus helps reinforce key concepts, building confidence and efficiency in their mathematical abilities.
Maths at home
Fluency games for home
A great way to help your child with number fluency is through fun games. For younger students, simple games like Snap, Biggest and Smallest Number Challenge or Count and Clap, can build their number recognition and basic math skills. For our older students, using Times Table Rock Stars is an excellent tool to improve their recall of multiplication facts quickly and accurately, boosting their overall maths fluency.
Prep to Year 2 students:
Count and Clap: Have your child practice counting by clapping a certain number of times for each roll of a die, or by counting out loud while hopping, skipping, or even jumping to make it fun and active!
Biggest or Smallest Number: each player picks two or three number cards and tries to create the biggest or smallest number possible. Once everyone has their number, they share it, and the player with the biggest or smallest number wins. This simple game helps young learners with number recognition and understanding place value in a fun, engaging way!
Snap into Math! In this fun twist on the classic game of Snap, each player gets a set of number cards. Players take turns flipping over their cards and calling out the number. If two players have the same number, they shout "Snap!" and the first to call it wins the pair. You can make it more challenging by using addition, subtraction, or even multiplication facts on the cards. This game helps build number recognition, quick thinking, and math fluency in a playful, interactive way!
Year 2 to Year 6 students:
Maths Jeopardy: Create a simple board with categories like Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, and Word Problems. Players take turns picking a category and answering questions of varying difficulty. Correct answers earn points, and the player with the most points at the end wins. This game is a great way to reinforce math skills in a fun and engaging way while encouraging quick thinking and problem-solving!
Times Table Rock Stars is an online math platform that helps students practice their times tables at home, complementing the daily practice they receive at school. This interactive tool makes learning multiplication facts fun and engaging, allowing students to improve their speed and accuracy in recalling their times tables, all while playing music-themed challenges. It’s a great way for students to build confidence and fluency in their math skills outside the classroom.
We look forward to another fantastic term of Maths at Sacred Heart, filled with learning, growth, and development for our students.
Mak Bulte
Maths Leader