Numeracy – MENTAL MATHS Townhill Primary School Mrs Bunyan

What is Mental Maths? Using number based skills with ACCURACY, SPEED AND CONFIDENCE to work out calculations in our daily lives.

Daily Practice of Speed, Accuracy & Confidence leads to competence in using number based calculations. The more we practice the better we’ll become!

Importance of Mental Maths Numeracy is an important foundation for lifelong learning, supporting all areas of learning. It is a skill for life, learning and work. Every day, we, as adults, work out calculations for change, housekeeping, measurements, etc.

Numeracy Experiences and Outcomes Number and number processes Estimation and rounding Fractions, decimal fractions and percentages Money Time Measurement Data and analysis Ideas of chance and uncertainty

High School Mental Maths  What is expected of 1 st Year pupils?  Work out 22 written “sums” as quickly and as accurately as possible in 2 minutes!

The long journey to competence Primary One…………….. Count to and know names of numbers up to 100 Recognise, know and use numbers up to 10 by: Counting up/down 1,2,3,4,5 etc Counting up 10, 20, 30, 40 etc Counting up 5, 10, 15, 20 etc Adding on all numbers to get an answer within 10 Taking away numbers within 10 Doubling Halving

Primary 1(early level) examples 3+4=7 6+4=10 2+7=9 4+4=8 8-4=4 10-9=1 9-9=0 7-5=2 Double 4? 8 Double 2? 4 Half of 6? 3 Half of 2? 1

The journey continues…….

P2 (first level)……. Count and know names of numbers up to 200/300 Recognise, know and use numbers up to 20 and then 50 by: Counting up/down 1,2,3 etc… 99 on to 100 & 199 onto 200 Counting up 10, 20, 30, 40 etc Counting up 5, 10, 15, 20 etc Adding on numbers to get an answer within 50 Taking away numbers within 50 Doubling and Halving as part of the 2x table Counting on in 10s and 5s as part of the 5x and 10x tables Introduce the 4x table as a connection of the 2x table Begin to use more specialist vocabulary for fractions ½, ¼ and how to use them with times tables

P3 (first level)…………. Count to and know names of numbers up to Recognise, count and use numbers to 100 Counting on in 10s and 100s Mental calculations… = add the tens then the units = 70 and = 7………..answer 77 This differs from written calculations of x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 10 x Corresponding use of fraction vocabulary for dividing i.e. 1/5 of a number means divide by/share between 5

Practice……. Counting on in 10s e.g. 1, 11, 21, 31, 41, 51……. Counting on in 100s e.g. 23, 123, 223, 323, 423……. Introducing 3x table and 6x table Looking for times table patterns of numbers same as adding on from 0………… e.g. 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18 etc…(3x) or 0, 6, 12, 18, 24……. (6x) 1/3 means divide by 3 or 1/6 means divide by 6

P4 (first level) ……………… Recognise and count numbers up to Recognise count and use numbers up to Counting on and back as before Know and use all times tables Rounding up/down numbers to the nearest 10, 100 Developing use of all numbers in the “four operations” – (that is addition, subtraction, multiplication and division)

P5 (second level) ………… Recognising & counting up to Know, count and use numbers up to building on P1-4 experiences and skills of manipulating numbers and processes mentally. Getting noticeably quicker with easier calculations and developing confidence as numbers increase Rounding up/down to Using our x tables knowledge to work out bigger calculations 4x6= ? 40 x 60= ? (see the connection?) or 16 -:- 4 = ? 160 -:- 40 = (connection?)

Primary 6 & 7 The Numeracy Gateway for life………… (and especially the High School Numeracy curriculum!) ……Fractions, Decimal Fractions and Percentages

P6 and P7 Recognise, know, count and use numbers to (one million) using the four operations + - x -:- Work with increasingly difficult numbers Link fractions to decimal fractions and then on to percentages Know all common/easily recognisable %, link them, and use fraction skills to calculate answer 50% of 70 means ½ of % of 600 means ¾ of 600 etc Introduce negative numbers 0, -1, -2, -3, -4 etc Introduce the word “Algebra” and discover they’ve been doing it since P1!

What can you do? Encourage your child to talk about numbers for example when handling money – recognise coins, learn their value, work out simple change – they need number skills for this. Take time to ask the quick fire times table questions – a few minutes everyday will increase competence and skill Use shopping trips to develop your child’s number skills – getting amounts of items, working out the best offer, simple budgeting Look for signs in the environment and when you see a bargain……. 30% off - talk about it (at any age!)

What can you do? Support their learning of number bonds. Having instant recall of 6+3=9, enables 60+30, etc. Encourage them to use clocks in the house to tell the time – use train, bus timetables to plan journeys and work out how long they will take Play board games that encourage logical and strategic planning, e.g. Dominoes, Monopoly, Chess, Battleships

What can you do? Play snooker/pool or darts to encourage mental addition Baking and cooking provide lots of opportunities to look at weight and measure/scales….. Even dividing up food to serve.

What can you do? Play bingo – it can be based upon number, addition/subtraction facts, times tables. Help your child to learn their tables – really helps with work on division, fractions, percentages etc. Model the ways you use number in your life….. Numbers never begin and end in school…… they are most definitely – FOR LIFE!