Any Y5 primary teachers around? Maths resources guidance please

[CottonCastle]

Ds is in Y5 and while he has always seemed to have a good grasp at maths I feel like he's fallen behind lately and this was summed up by a recent PE.

I'm trying to help but I've found that there are different methods used online.

For example, ds has over the past few weeks, been calculating fractions, with different denominators and mixed numbers. I want to keep this fresh in his mind during holidays.

Can you recommend any good sites which show the methods you use at school? Any links to more complex fraction questions 6 x 1 3/4 for example, so not straight forward questions? The sites I've looked at show two different ways of calculating.

Would you be introducing these more complex fraction questions this early on? They've also added with different denominators and there's different methods online for this too.

Any help to any good, current primary maths resources would be greatly appreciated.

[CottonCastle]

And I'm embarrassed to admit, I've really had to look hard at fractions again. My last school year was 1986

[ParadiseCity]

Not a teacher but I have a Y5 DC. They watch Math Antic on YouTube quite often - might be a good place to start.

[CottonCastle]

Thank you Paradise, I'll take a look at this.

[Newtssuitcase]

My Yr5 DS's school uses conquermaths. In the past they also used mathletics.

We have a free subscription through the school but you can join as a parent. Both are good. Conquer maths is better IMO since you get a teacher talking though a lesson on how to do the maths with worked examples being done on screen as you watch. Then you get the questions and tests.

[user789653241]

Second the mathantics video's.
Their tutorials videos are actually better than khan academy, imo.

[CottonCastle]

Thank you, New & Irvine.

If we look at something online and it's a slightly different method to the way ds is taught, he flounces off telling me that's not the way it's done. I really don't want to hinder so if I get my head around all the different approaches to teaching this I might be able to help more at home.

[user789653241]

My ds' school has maths calculation policy on their website, and also as a hand book.
Do your ds' school has one maybe? Worth asking school.

[user789653241]

Imo, if the child is able and secure with concepts, it's better to know different methods to do same thing.

[CottonCastle]

Irvine, ds is very literal thinking (or just stubborn) it's black or white out there, no grey. If he's been taught a certain way he won't entertain another method. It's quite frustrating. Even when I show him that the question reaches the same answer, he tells me I'm just confusing him.

[CottonCastle]

I don't think ds school do. I will ask after half term.

[Newtssuitcase]

There is a greta book called maths for mums and dads which gives the basics of how maths is taught nowadays. I found it really useful for understanding some of the methods I'd never seen before (and which to me seemed a bit pointless).

[user789653241]

If you like to practice fraction multiplication, here's some.

uk.ixl.com/search?q=fraction+multiplication This is a paying site, but allowed to practice up to 20(?) question a day for free. Follows NC.

www.khanacademy.org/math/pre-algebra/pre-algebra-fractions free tutorial and practice

www.mathplayground.com/index_fractions.html

mathsframe.co.uk/en/resources/category/18/fractions_decimals_and_percentages

interactivesites.weebly.com/fractions.html

[CottonCastle]

Thanks Irvine.

I was looking at the Maths Antics on YouTube and this could be something which holds ds interest more than Khan Academy, for fractions at least. The presenter is quite engaging and he explains very well and with the different approaches to the same question, which is just what I wanted.

I'd even forgotten how to divide and that you have to rewrite the second fraction and then multiply. I'm am absolutely awful at maths, numbers just become messy on a page to me.

I will check out your links Irvine.

[ParadiseCity]

Yy to maths for mums and dads. If only because DC less inclined to argue with The Book than with me It has greatly reduced the flouncing.