INFORMATION FOR PARENTS ABOUT OUR MATHS TEACHING STRATEGY
‘OPERATION BOOTCAMP MATHS’ AT WILSDEN PRIMARY SCHOOL
1. CORE CALCULATIONS
During registration, children will start each lesson with around 8 sums given to them. These will focus on those core calculation skills around division, multiplication, addition and subtraction, with fractions, decimals and percentages being introduced higher up key stage 2. Children will have the first 10 minutes to complete these, and children will receive instant feedback as the teacher will demonstrate/annotate the calculations will the children. The idea is that children will be given a mixture of calculations daily, therefore reinforcing and strengthening their arithmetic skills.
2. MATHS MIX
This forms the second section of our maths lessons. Every day, children will have around fifteen minutes to complete around ten questions. These maths content of these questions is taken from a variety of maths topics the children have covered during their previous learning. This is to ensure that the children constantly keep these key skills constantly in the repertoire, and can easily apply their skills to solving problems.
3. THE MATHS LESSON ITSELF
this will focus on the coverage and content of the national curriculum for the year group and will be around a particular theme or topic eg ‘area and perimeter’. In this section of the lesson, children are first introduced to the mathematical concept. This is known as ‘new teaching’. The next step for the children is around embedding and consolidating this skill. Activities given to children to reinforce new learning are known as ‘LOTS skills’ (lower order thinking skills.) Finally, the children will then apply this skill to solving problems – we call this part of the learning ‘HOTS skills’ (higher order thinking skills).
4. USING MODELS AND IMAGES TO SUPPORT LEARNING
Where appropriate and where necessary, teachers use a range of mathematical models and images when conveying new or tricky mathematical concepts to children. We have found that this greatly enhances the child’s understanding of mathematical skills at an early stage in their learning. As children become more confident, they feel they can move away from these. In every classroom, we also have a range of mathematical equipment for children to help themselves to in order to support their learning.
5. WORKING WALLS
Working walls are divided into three sections: key skills, fluency and reasoning and problem solving. The key skills section contains all the key facts that children need to know across the year whilst the other two sections relate to the topic currently being taught in maths. Children are encouraged to use the working walls for assistance as and when they need to.
6. THE DAILY ARITHMETIC LESSON
There are many key facts that children need to know off by heart. These become progressively harder as they move through school. Times tables form an important building block to maths and knowing these off by heart enables children to tackle complex reasoning and problem solving. The expectation is that children will practice their learn by heart facts each night at home and they will be tested on these once a week in school.
7. INCREASE OF TIME GIVEN FOR DAILY MATHS TEACHING
This will be increased to around an hour and three quarters. The lesson will begin at 9am. Break will be 10.15/10.30. The arithmetic lesson will take place from approx. 10.30 until 11 o’clock. Our children love maths lessons and look forward to them every day.
WHAT PARENTS CAN DO TO HELP AT HOME
Number Zumba homework – to work with your child in learning basic number facts and multiplication tables.
Learning multiplication tables – the importance we attach to the learning of multiplication tables cannot be emphasised enough.
Instant recall facts – around the learning of measures. For example, children need to be fluent in remembering facts such as there are 100cm in 1m.
Maths Passport Guidance
© Copyright 2017 Wilsden Primary School. All rights reserved.