Mathematics
Why should we be learning at home?
Home 'work' or Home 'learning'?
Learning at WPPA is fun! Our home learning is intended to develop our pupils' excitement and passion for their learning and to help parents support their children at home.
Key principles
A range of education researchers tell us that the most effective method of home learning requires children to rehearse and practise. Leading educationalists are also arguing the case for more creativity in the curriculum to better prepare children for the world of work, especially where it is predicted that many of the jobs that our 5 year olds will start are not yet known!
Research tells us that learning and understanding are deepened through repetition and practice. Key skills such as learning times tables for maths and practice of spelling patterns can be practised at home. Learning beyond the school, with or without the support of parents, enable pupils to enjoy spending time on an extended task and lets them develop their creativity.
Our home learning routines
- Reciting number facts/multiplication tables to increase their fluency so that they can be applied in other areas of maths and problem solving using Numbots or Timestable Rockstars
What should we be learning at home?
The national curriculum for Maths for each year group can be found here
How should we be learning at home?
All children have logins for Numbots or Times Table Rockstars. Please access these for short bursts of time, regularly. Every child has also been sent a learning pack which includes a range of Maths activities for their ability. Below are also a number of websites with additional resources and ideas for Maths at home.
- Free creative Maths ideas:
- Slides, worksheets and questions organised by year group:
- Maths games to play on phone/tablet/laptop or computer:
- Maths videos and games:
- Problem solving to try at home:
- Maths activities and videos (the teachers use this website to aid their planning!):
- Maths resources:
- Maths learning packs (will need to be printed)
A Parent's Guide to Numbots
Big Difference
NumBots is an online game and playing little and often will significantly improve your child’s recall and understanding of number bonds and addition and subtraction facts. These are critical foundations in maths so we are excited by the impact NumBots will have.
Logging In
Go to: https://play.numbots.com/#/intro or type in ‘Numbots’ into a search engine. Click on the green button and then select ‘Schools’, then ‘Pupils’ and then select ‘Warden Park Primary Academy’ from the drop down menu. On the final page, enter their username and password from the label your child brought home with them today. The children have been shown how to do this too. Once they’re in, they just need some quiet space to get on with the games for 5 minutes.
Please ask your child’s teacher if they are struggling to log in.
Important: please don’t allow siblings, friends or family to answer for them but you could support your child by modelling similar questions and discussing how to answer them.
Little and often
In order to get the best out of NumBots children should regularly play for short bursts so we would ask you to give them the opportunity to play for 5 minutes, 3 times a week- or more if they would like!
Game Types
- Story Mode – the emphasis is on learning the ideas and concepts behind addition and subtraction so it features more diagrams, shapes and question styles. Once the children have completed a set amount of levels, they will unlock challenge mode.
- Challenge Mode – the emphasis is more on speed of recall of key facts, like number bonds to 10, doubling small numbers or adding & taking away in your head. The emphasis should be on playing in ‘Story Mode’ most of the time and ‘Challenge Mode’ occasionally to check their progress.
A Parent's Guide to Times Tables Rockstars
Times Tables Rockstars (Y3-6)
https://ttrockstars.com/
Times Table Rock Stars is a fun and challenging programme designed to help your child/children to master the times tables!
To be a Times Table Rock Star you need to answer any multiplication fact up to 12×12 in less than 3 seconds!
The goal is for all participating rockers to be Times Table Rock Stars after 20 weeks!
World famous rock musicians are the best at what they do because they've spent hours practising guitar chords, writing music or playing on the drums. It's just the same with times tables – all Times Table Rock Stars need to practise and practise and practise. It's absolutely essential that your child does a little bit of times table practice every night. In our experience, short bursts of practise on a daily basis are more effective than spending hours once a week.
And this is where you come in. For your child to be fully motivated and for them to get the best out of the practice, they need your help - your praise, reminders and support will help your child feel confident and motivated.
Over the course of the next few weeks and months, your child WILL get faster and more accurate with the times tables. All your hard work and theirs WILL make them a Times Table Rock Star!
