If you want your child to be really good at Maths, you may be looking for something extra to do with them at home. But how do you choose between all the different things on offer? Which of them will make the difference?
You will want something that they will enjoy doing by themselves, but also something that you can get involved with. It will need to be fun but interesting. You will also want a programme that builds up understanding step by step, so each new piece of learning is built on what your child already knows.
If you found Maths difficult yourself, you will want something that helps you to learn along with your child. Ideally it will make them, and you, think about what you are doing and understand HOW and WHY things work, not just learn WHAT to do.
There are many different providers out there offering different materials for children, and each has its own quality, structure and pricing, so there are many options you may wish to explore. For example, I am a full time Primary teacher and Maths expert, and the materials that I have begun developing and publishing here are based my own many years of experience both in teaching Maths to children of all ages and in helping teachers.
They are video-based, which engages children immediately, and they encourage them to DRAW, WRITE and DO the Maths along with the video. There is then, often, an open-ended challenge that they can go on to do themselves.
Here is a short video to explain how it works.
Access to the activities is by a small subscription of just £6 per year. There are previews of some of the activities on the site so you can work through them and get a feel for whether it is right for you before you buy. Have fun!
NOTE FOR TEACHERS
The materials on this site are equally suitable for use in home and at school.
Based on what we did really successfully in our school during lockdown, this website is designed to help pupils, with a little support from their parents and teachers, to really understand Maths.
Each activity consists of a Google Slide deck, and each slide has a video which the children can watch and work along with. Some have worksheets to print or screenshot; others simply require either blank or squared paper. The ‘low-threshold, high ceiling’ approach allows children in many cases to choose their own numbers and set their own level of challenge within the particular skill they are learning. As they work through each activity, they are encouraged to check their answers, either with a partner (see the article on CEDRIC for guidance on this) or using the online skill check which allows them to put their own numbers into pre-set templates and simply press check to see if they are right.
At all times, children, with the support of their parents and teachers, are in charge of their own learning, making active decisions about what to learn next, and exactly what and how much to practise – it is not automated! This has encouraged our children to engage with enthusiasm, feeling that they are fully in control.
The site is very much in its infancy. To ensure consistency of style and approach, I am creating all the activities myself and, as I am a full time teacher, it might take some time to complete! But the vision is to build it gradually over the next few years until it encompasses activities in all the areas that upper primary, and early secondary, pupils find difficult. There will also be some activities designed to engage more capable pupils in discovering the links between different areas of Maths that they might not have noticed otherwise.
I have decided to begin with fractions, as this is an area that many children, and parents, find difficult, and I have been trialling some of the completed activities with our Primary 5 pupils. I have also completed some activities on coordinates and angles which I have used successfully with Primary 6. The videos and slideshows are all currently free to use. There is a small charge for downloading the pdfs if you want to print the worksheets. Please do take a look and try them with your own children – I would welcome feedback!
