Little Maths Helper A collection of fun online

Little Maths Helper A collection of fun online games, tips and strategies to support your child’s learning in maths.

March 2011 Dear Parent/Carer, Please find enclosed a booklet detailing links to online maths activities which you can use at home to support your child’s learning. The left hand column details specific areas of maths that the links relate to. For example, if your child struggles with addition, there are some links for related online games which they can play to strengthen their knowledge. As part of our continuing professional development as class teachers within the Dunbar schools cluster, we have decided to pilot this resource in the hope that it will provide a useful link between what is being taught in the classroom and your child’s individual learning needs. It is anticipated that, if you decide this is a useful resource, it would be further developed to include a greater variety of maths topics and related online resources. We would be very grateful if you would take the opportunity to choose a few activities over the coming weeks with your child and then provide us with some feedback. There is no expectation that you will trial all of the links, just those that are of current relevance for your child. We would suggest that you would spend no more than 10 minutes per night on the activities. We can also make the booklet available electronically. Please advise if you would like this to be sent this as an email attachment. Please return the booklet with any comments as soon as you can. Thank you for your time. Helene Kett -----------------------------------Parent name: _________________ I would like to receive an electronic copy of the Little Maths Helper. Please email to ________________ Signed: ___________________

Number Description Website/Activity Practising number bonds to 10 and beyond eg 8+2=10, 9+1=10 http: //www. kenttrustw eb. org. uk/kentict/cont ent/games/lady. Bird. Spo ts/index. html http: //www. amblesidep rimary. com/ambleweb/ mentalmaths/numberbo nd. html http: //www. ictgames. co m/10 pipe. html Try using practical items such as apples, sweets, buttons or marbles that your child can handle to physically and visually show all the different ways of making a number, for example 7 is 2+5, but also 3+4. Early addition and subtraction http: //www. bbc. co. uk/s chools/starship/maths/ games/cross_the_swa mp/small_sound/standa rd. shtml http: //www. woodlandsjunior. kent. sch. uk/math s/units 120. html Play snakes and ladders to reinforce these skills. Try moving forward (addition) and backwards (subtraction) on stairs or paving slabs. Parent Comment

Description Website/Activity Mental addition and subtraction to 20 http: //www. primaryreso urces. co. uk/maths/powe rpoint/disappearing_man. swf http: //www. amblesidepr imary. com/ambleweb/me ntalmaths/additiontest. html http: //www. amblesidepr imary. com/ambleweb/me ntalmaths/subtractionte st. html The next step in addition and subtraction is for them to visualise the numbers. Try the first exercises, but extend their skills by screening one, and eventually both of the groups you are adding or taking away. For example, show them five buttons, cover three, and ask how many are under the plate. Recognising numbers to 100 http: //www. amblesidepr imary. com/ambleweb/me ntalmaths/countersquar e. html Take a walk down your street and ask your child to read you door numbers, bus numbers, numbers on registration plates, numbers they see in shops etc. Parent Comment

Description Website/Activity Place value, ordering numbers, counting in 2 s, 3 s, 5, and 10 s. http: //www. woodlan dsjunior. kent. sch. uk/ maths/interactive/ numbers. htm http: //www. ictgame s. com/funkymum. ht ml Ask your child to group items in 2 s, 3 s or 5 s. Use items such as pennies, buttons, building blocks, lego etc. This will help your child visualise the amount in their head. Number bonds to 20 http: //www. interac tivestuff. org/sums 4 fun/colquiz. html See “number bonds to 10” activities. Encourage your child to realise the link between 6+4 = 10 and 16+4 = 20. Parent Comment

Description Website/Activity Problem solving: guess the number http: //www. wmnet. org. uk/wmnet/custo m/files_uploaded/u ploaded_resources/ 851/Guessthenumb er. swf “Guess the number” game. Each player has a post-it note on their head with a number on it. They have to guess their number by asking questions using language such as more than, less than, odd, even etc. Each person gets one question per turn. Variations: the winner guesses first. The person who asks the least questions wins. Odd & Even http: //www. bbc. co. u k/schools/starship/ maths/games/numb er_jumbler/small_s ound/standard. shtm l Walk down your street and point out the door numbers. Can you child spot a pattern of the odd and even numbered houses? Parent Comment

Description Website/Activity Recognising the correct sign eg, + / - / x http: //www. bbc. co. uk/scho ols/starship/maths/games /number_jumbler/small_s ound/standard. shtml http: //www. amblesideprim ary. com/ambleweb/mental maths/tabletrees. html Times Tables http: //www. amblesideprim ary. com/ambleweb/mental maths/test. html Reinforce that multiplying is just adding the same number lots of times. Put similar items in equal group (by spacing them, putting them on plates) and get your child to add them up. Next step: encourage your child to count in 2 s, 3 s, 4 s, 5 s and 10 s to find the answer quicker. Any further comments: Parent Comment

Time Description Website/Activity Teaching Time and comparing analogue/digital http: //www. time-fortime. com/swf/myclox. swf http: //www. oswego. org/oc sdweb/games/Bang. On. Time/c lockwordres. html Get your child to try and read the time using an analogue and digital clock. Can they see the comparison? Play games such as What’s the time Mr. Wolf? Try to give your child an idea of time scales as often as possible. For example: “We are going to Edinburgh in 2 days. ” “Remember when the big hand is at 12 and the little hand is at 6 that is your bed time. ” Play circle games such as Duck, Goose and ask them to run clockwise the first time, anti clockwise the second time etc. Any further comments: Parent Comment

Money Description Website/Activity Money: Using coins to make a given amount. http: //www. ictgames. com /moneypayer. html http: //www. bbc. co. uk/sch ools/starship/maths/gam es/number_jumbler/small _sound/standard. shtml Using coins, get your child to use different coins to make the same amount for example 20 p can be made with one 20 p coin or four 10 p coins of four 5 p coins etc. Play a game: how many different ways can you think of to make 20 p? Using pennies, ask your child to show you how many 1 ps are in one 20 p coin. They need to understand what value each coin has to begin with. Play a game where you have some coins and they have different coins. Who has the most money? Role-play shopping using easy amounts and small value coins. Give your child their own little purse and a number-line to support their addition and subtraction. How many items can they buy from your shop? How much change will they have? Parent Comment