1. Numeracy Parent Workshops
To provide parents with ideas and activities that they can use at home to support their child’s maths development

2. The notes provided in this presentation are intended to provide clarity to the information on the slides. The notes and the slides are by no means prescriptive and can be adapted as you wish.

3. Read, Write, Count
a campaign to provide advice and materials to families to help raise attainment for all and to close the attainment gap
Read, Write, Count is a campaign by the Scottish Government, supported by Scottish Book Trust and Education Scotland.
It focuses on the importance of families, parents and carers in children’s education and aims to give advice and materials to help families get involved in their children’s learning.
Research tells us that if parents are involved in their child’s learning, their child does better in school. That applies to all parents – it doesn’t matter who they are or where they are from.
Read, Write, Count aims to contribute to two high-priority aims for education: raising attainment for all and closing the attainment gap.

4. The gap: numeracy
Between 2011 and 2015, the performance gap between least and most deprived pupils increased at P4 and remained the same for P7 and S2 pupils.
Sixty-six per cent of P4 and P7 pupils performed well or very well in numeracy in 2015.
Forty per cent of S2 pupils performed well or very well.
Boys outperformed girls in numeracy at S2, whereas there was no difference in the proportion of boys and girls performing well or very well at either P4 or P7.

5. Parental involvement matters
“A rich home learning environment can improve cognitive development for all children, regardless of their socio-economic background”
Tackling Inequalities in the Early Years: Key messages from 10 years of the Growing Up in Scotland study (2015)
“Parental involvement has a positive effect on children’s achievement even when the influence of background factors such as social class and family size have been taken into account.”
UK Department for Children, Schools and Families (2008)
“Family engagement in school has a bigger influence on a pupil’s achievement than socio-economic background, parents’ education level, family structure and ethnicity.”
Engaging with Families, review of research
The gap is well-evidenced.
But we also know how important parents are. There are many sources of evidence which tell us that parental involvement in learning has the potential to have a big impact on children’s learning. That evidence also tells us that effective parental involvement matters more than who those parents are or where they are from.
The focus is on family engagement – outwith formal schooling
Build a stronger bridge between home and school

6. Read, Write, Count aims to
Help parents and carers to be confident enough to be involved in their child’s learning
Help parents and carers to understand why they are important in their child’s learning and how to get involved
Increase people’s use of their local library
Help to close the attainment gap between the most and least advantaged children in Scotland
Everyone wants the best for their children but sometimes they don’t know how to get involved, or worry that they’ll do harm if they get involved.
Read, Write, Count aims to build parents’ confidence, showing them they do have a role to play and giving them the tools they need to get involved.
We also want people to make use of their local libraries, where there are lots of books and other resources which parents and children can use together.

7. Read, Write, Count elements
Social marketing – website, advertising, social media, PR, working with partners (public / private / third sector)
Focuses on giving advice on little ways to include learning in everyday life, for example, counting out money at the shops, reading bedtime stories and writing shopping lists
Emphasis is on idea that small things make a big difference
Libraries – promoting libraries as a space for family learning and encouraging membership
TRY ONE MATHS ACTIVITY A DAY!
Read, Write, Count is a big campaign. It has a number of different elements.
The first is social marketing – this includes a website, outdoor advertising, TV advertising, articles in newspapers and social media. These are all about reaching parents and showing them the little things they can do every day to help their child to learn. The focus is on the idea that small things make a big difference – it’s not suggesting parents should be teachers.
You might have seen TV adverts in January and February 2016, or adverts at ASDA supermarkets.
The second element is libraries – Read, Write, Count wants to promote libraries as a space for family learning and encourages library membership. In Feburary 2016, “Read, Write, Count in Libraries” launched with all libraries being sent resource packs and some libraries receiving funds for books for the P1 – P3 age range.

8. Read, Write, Count gift bags
Free gift bags to all Primary 1, 2 and 3 children in Scotland
Delivered to schools in Sept/Oct/Nov 2016
Containing books and materials for writing and counting
With information for parents and carers on how to use the bags with their children
Resources and activities designed to be age- and stage-appropriate and fun
The bags will be delivered to schools, who have the responsibility of gifting them to children, as is currently done with the P1 bag.
The deliveries will be made in September, October and November 2016.
The bags will contain books and materials for writing and counting, as well as information for parents on how to use the bags with their children.
The bags and their contents have been specially designed to make sure they are appropriate for the children they are being gifted to and tie in with the learning children of these ages are undertaking in school.
But, the focus is on parents and children using the bags together at home. The activities are designed to be fun and easy for parents to facilitate.

9. Bookbug Primary 1 Family Bag
Still centres around Bookbug Picture Book Prize (was Scottish Children’s Book Awards)
As normal but with RWC elements added to bags:
Three picture books
Voting slip
Activity book
Coloured pencils
Magnetic whiteboard, magnetic numbers and whiteboard pen
Delivered separately from P2 and P3 RWC bags
The Primary 1 bags are still Bookbug bags, and they still focus on children voting for their favourite book from the bag. This used to be called the Scottish Children’s Book Awards but is now called the Bookbug Picture Book Prize. For more information about this, please visit Scottish Book Trust’s website (
The books in the P1 bag will be those shortlisted for the Prize and the focus is still for children to read the books and to vote for their favourite (using the voting slip provided), with the winners being announced in January.
The P1 bags have been enhanced with extra items for RWC – so there will be a magnetic whiteboard, magnetic numbers and a whiteboard pen to help with writing and counting activities.
The P1 bags in 2015 contained whiteboard and pens – and there has been lots of positive feedback about that.
The P1 bags are delivered separately from the P2 and P3 bags.

10. Primary 2 Bag Two picture books Snakes and Ladders board game
Finger puppets
Notebook, writing pencil and coloured pencils
Guide for parents
The Primary 2 bag is slightly different from the Primary 1 bag. It doesn’t link to the Bookbug Picture Book Prize, but it still has two great picture books in it.
Inside the Primary 2 bags, there are:
Two picture books – these are books with lots of beautiful pictures for parents and children to enjoy reading together.
A snakes and ladders board game (with second game on the back) – playing these games together will help children’s counting skills
Finger puppets, booklet, writing pencil and coloured pencils – these are all designed to give ideas for fun ways to help children develop their writing skills
The parent guide – giving parents everything they need to use the bags

11. Primary 3 Bags Two picture books Number playing cards
Notebook, writing pencil and coloured pencils
Information booklet for parents
The Primary 3 bag is slightly different from the Primary 1 bag. It doesn’t link to the Scottish Children’s Book Awards, but it still has two great picture books in it.
Inside the Primary 3 bags, there are:
Two picture books – these are books with lots of beautiful pictures for parents and children to enjoy reading together.
Number playing cards – playing with these cards together will help children’s counting skills
Booklet, writing pencil and coloured pencils – these are all designed to give parents ideas for fun ways to help children develop their writing skills
The parent guide – giving parents everything they need to use the bags

12. Read, Write, Count Resources
Advice and support for teachers (presentations, template letters and gifting advice)
Resources for teachers to use to support engagement throughout the year and make bag contents accessible for families
P2 and P3 resource packs include:
Guide to the bag contents with classroom and home learning activities
Supporting activity templates
Activity card for each item in the bags
‘If You Only Do One Thing’ activity suggestions for parents
Read, Write, Count bags are supported by advice, support and resources for teachers. These include:
Information about the contents of each bag
Adaptable presentations to use with staff and parents to explain the campaign
Template letters which can be adapted and sent home to inform parents
Advice on gifting Read, Write, Count bags with a case study from a Fife primary school
A bespoke resource pack for each of the P2 and P3 bags, developed in partnership with a primary school in West Lothian:
Designed to support teachers in engaging with the contents of the Read, Write, Count bags in the classroom and through home-school learning opportunities throughout the year; knowing that every child has access to these fantastic resources makes a big difference.
There is a teacher’s guide to the contents of each bag with suggestions for using the resources as a context for learning in the classroom, including fun home-learning activity ideas with supporting templates.
Some teachers may want to gift the items in the bags separately in order to make them more accessible to families. To support this, there is an activity card for each item, along with an “If You Only Do One Thing’ suggestion for families to engage with.

13. At home, you can support your children in numeracy in a number of ways:
DO: DO NOT: Make numeracy as fun as possible. Put your child under pressure. Relate numbers to real life situations. Be tempted to start formal written Encourage children to have a go. ‘sums’ too soon. Praise achievements however small. Jump in too quickly with the answer – Encourage children to tell you how they encourage children to solve problems for have worked something out. Themselves. Worry about mistakes – they are learning opportunities.

14. Expectations of CfE
Five-year-olds are expected to learn to count up to 100 (compared to 20 under the current curriculum) and learn number bonds to 20 (currently up to 10).
Simple fractions (1/4 and 1/2) are taught from P4, and by the end of primary school, children should be able to convert decimal fractions to simple fractions (e.g = 3/8).
By the age of nine, children are expected to know times tables up to 12×12 (currently 10×10 by the end of primary school).

15. Weekly Maths Home Activities Ideas
To help your child develop their maths skills, I have come up with a selection of activities for adults and children to do together at home.
They will help develop an understanding of maths and enable you to have fun with maths together.
These activities are intended to promote investigative and enquiry skills, and the discussions you have will be invaluable to your child.

16. At home, you can support your children in numeracy in a number of ways:
DO: DO NOT: Make numeracy as fun as possible. Put your child under pressure. Relate numbers to real life situations. Be tempted to start formal written Encourage children to have a go. ‘sums’ too soon. Praise achievements however small. Jump in too quickly with the answer – Encourage children to tell you how they encourage children to solve problems for have worked something out. Themselves. Worry about mistakes – they are learning opportunities.

17. Parent Leaflets - addition and subtraction at home
This leaflet is designed to give you some practical advice to assist your child with addition and subtraction strategies at home. The strategies are taught progressively throughout the school, with not all children learning the same strategies at the same time. Becoming more agile with mental calculation of numbers gives children a sound base on which to build more complex mathematical learning and problem solving skills. You will notice that the more formal written algorithm (sum) is only introduced once children are competent at mental calculations and usually once 3 digits are beginning to be used.

18. Parent leaflet multiplication and division at home.
This leaflet is designed to give you some practical advice to assist your child with multiplication and division at home. The strategies are taught progressively throughout the school, with not all children learning the same strategies at the same time.
You will notice that the formal multiplication tables are not introduced until children are able to count forwards and backwards in 2’s, 3’s, 5’s and 10’s etc. and that formal written multiplication and division algorithms (sums) are usually only introduced once children are secure in their understanding of the concepts of multiplication and division.

20. How do children learn the calculation methods?
Counting of objects and mental counting. Early stages of calculation with learning of addition and subtraction number facts, with recording = or 13 = + 5 Work with structured number lines Work with larger numbers, unstructured number lines and informal jottings. e.g
So where do we start in maths.
The first thing we do is to teach children to count. They count real things. The count forwards and backwards. They counting in ones, twos, fives and then tens. In this way, children are really gaining a sense of number.
They then move on to learn number facts.
Then we would ask children to learn number facts. By that I mean children would get to know pairs of numbers that make =10, 7+3 = =7.
Structured number lines already have the numbers on them.
Unstructured number lines are blank and children fill in numbers. +3
+20 47 50 70 73 73

21. I must remember to add the least significant digit first
Informal written methods, first with whole numbers and decimals.
Formal written methods.
With any calculation, teach children to consider first whether a mental method is appropriate and remembering to estimate first.
Remember to partition
I must remember to add the least significant digit first =
= = 123
(8+3)
(60+90)
( )
Partitioning is a key tool that all children are encouraged to use whether adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing.
When children are ready, they move to using informal written methods- horizontal first and then in the vertical layout.
If and when they are ready, they can move to the more formal compact written method.
In terms of the numbers that your child uses within this process, refer to year group objectives to find the sort of numbers for each year group.

22. 100 20 3 100 20 3 = + + Addition Practical addition of real objects.
Use of a structured number line to add.
Partitioning to add.
100 20 3 =
100 + 20 + 3

23. Addition Continued… 4. Use of an unstructured number line. 37 + 48= 4878 68 80 58
+10 +5 +2 85

24. Addition Continued…
5. Expanded horizontal method, leading to columnar addition:
Adding the least significant digit first. =
Estimate: is nearly so estimate answer should be near 360.
Illustration of how to use Dienes equipment to ensure children have an understanding of place value when using columnar addition.
Empty number lines will still be used at this stage to support.
       
        

25. Addition Continued…
6. Columnar addition (formal written method): When children are confident working with larger numbers using the previous strategies, they will be introduced to ‘carrying’ digits Estimate: =4000 Answer should be less as I have rounded up.
Children will eventually move on to adding larger numbers as well as decimal numbers and adding more than 2 numbers at a time.

26. Subtraction Subtraction as taking away from a group:
Subtracting by counting back and on: children begin to use numbered lines to support their own calculations, initially counting back in ones before beginning to work more efficiently.
Finding the difference by
either counting on or back.

27. Subtraction Continued…
4. Subtracting TU – U and TU – TU: use of an unstructured number line.
Use empty number lines to find the difference by bridging through multiples of ten.
Subtract by starting with the first number and partitioning the second, i.e.
74 – 20 = 54
54 – 4 = 50
50 – 3 = 47

28. Subtraction Continued…
5. First stage of column method, including expanded method:
•Written recording should follow teacher modelling around the size of numbers and place value using a variety of concrete materials, e.g. straws, Numicon, Dienes and place-value cards.

29. Subtraction Continued…
6. Second stage of column method: the concept of exchange is introduced through continued use of practical equipment (manipulatives).
Children will eventually move on to subtracting larger numbers as well as decimal numbers.

30. Multiplication
Developing early conceptual understanding of multiplication: practical multiplication - 2 x lots of 4.
2. Understanding multiplication as repeated addition: use of arrays and number lines x 5 or
Number lines:
6 X 4 = 24
So: ‘Six taken four times”

31. Multiplication continued…
3. Relate multiplying a 2-digit by 1-digit number using repeated addition and arrays to represent
4. Relate multiplying a 3/2-digit by 1-digit number with arrays towards using long/short multiplication

32. Multiplication continued…
5. Relate multiplying a 4/3/2-digit by 1/2-digit number with grid to using long multiplication.
6. Relate multiplying a 4/3/2-digit by 1/2-digit number with grid to using short multiplication.
Children will eventually move on to multiplying larger numbers as well as decimal numbers.

33. Division
Sharing or Grouping – Division is initially represented pictorially.
6 sweets shared between 2 people. How many each?
There are 6 people in a room. Put them into groups of 2. How many groups can you make?
2. Using a number line and arrays to show division.
6 ÷2 = 3
Sharing and grouping are two totally different concepts that children need to understand.

34. Division continued…
3. Dividing a 2-digit by 1-digit number, representing this efficiently on a number line.
4. Dividing a 3/2-digit by 1-digit number, representing this efficiently on a number line, also in relation to long division

35. Division continued…
Dividing a 4/3/2-digit by 1-digit number, in relation to long division.

36. Division continued…
6. Dividing a 4/3/2-digit by 2/1-digit number, in relation to long and then short division

37. How you can help at home
A focus on mental calculations. The ability to estimate. To use maths in a real life context. To ask children to explain how they have calculated something using a method that suits them.

38. Good practice in mathematics
All children need to learn maths in a real life context.
As well as knowing 7x7=49. Children need to be able to do the following:
There are 7 fields, each field has 7 sheep in them. How many sheep are there in total?
Children need to be able to explain how they have calculated or solved a problem.
In the new curriculum, written calculations are taught at an earlier age. The mental methods are essential for supporting pupils understanding of these written calculations.
Two points are clear about what mathematical skills children need in life. Educationalists say that children today need to learn 2 key skills. The ability to calculate mentally and the ability to estimate.
Mental calculation skills are vital. Just have a think how often you use mental maths in your own lives.
Shopping- working out change. Working out how many packets of biscuits or crisps you need to buy for a children’s birthday party.
Working out how long it is before you need to leave to pick up children from school.
Working out how many days left to do all your Christmas shopping?
A lot of maths in life is done in your head.
But within that I hope that you’re also estimating. When working out how long you have until you need to come to school, you round to the nearest hour or half hour.
So in school, we encourage children to estimate. If they are faced with a problem. I have 18 sweets in 1 bag and 33 in another bag. How many in total? Children in maths lessons today would be encouraged to round to the nearest 10 in their head and work out 20 add 30 to approximate an answer.
Alongside the ability to estimate, Educationalists today also say that children need to develop other key skills in maths.
Childrern need to learn maths in a context. Therefore in school we aren’t just giving children lists of sums to complete. We are asking them to really think. Research shows that many children who can tell you what 7 x 7 = 49 cannot answer a question in a real life context. E.g. There are 7 fields, each has 7 sheep in them. How many sheep are there altoghether.
Children need to be able to explain. What they are doing.
You may well say well what about the written calculations. Well these are still taught, but there is a balance.
Research shows that teaching children written procedures at too early a stage in their mathematical development can have an adverse effect upon their ability to operate mentally.
In line with many other countries, mental calculation skills are being taught and focussed upon, and the introduction of written methods are delayed until children are ready. At St Luke’s we certainly would expect children by the time they leave school to know, understand and use a written strategy for more complex maths calculations but emphasis early on is placed on mental calculations.
If we look at the next slide, this will hopefully illustrate the point in hand.

39. Progression Framework with hyper links to maths levels, vocabulary and games
Can be ed

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