Maths program for learning ahead at home

[notjustsayingthis]

My Y4 DS is in a state school and will be sitting 11+ in 2 years. Exam prep won't start until much later but to work on some foundation at home, the trickiest subject is Maths.

In school, he is (understandably) stuck at Y4 national curriculum and his teacher says that he will have to learn ahead of the national curriculum to cover 11+ exam syllabus in time for exam. The school is underperforming and (understandably) unable to stretch him beyond the national curriculum.

What is the best way for him to learn ahead at home methodically? Rather than questions based workbooks, I'm looking for a self learning program that explains new concepts really well. I can help with the problems he gets wrong, but I'd rather a well designed program, rather than myself, to introduce concepts.

I think I can safely answer this. Finish the KS2 CGP book and do the year 4,5 and then 6 workbook. My daughter sat her gcse maths on year 8 (level 9) and did her a level in year 11. My son in year 5 has finished the year 6 cgp maths book and so we have started ks3 and he will have probably finished it in 12 months and then we will start gcse. But both mine I taught them my own maths programme up to aged 10 and then they can self teach pretty much

Doodle maths is good. Mine have used it for a couple of years. You can set the question areas from the parent part of the app too. It encourages little and often - mine do around 10 questions a day every day of the year. In the early days they did a lot more (when it was new and exciting). They all enjoy maths and I think it gets them used to seeing progress from ‘little and often’.

The advent calendar is on this month and they are surprisingly excited to see the pictures!

Atom Learning. Expensive online subscription service but used by all the boys prep schools in London. You can start with the cheaper version and then move into the more expensive package with practice papers a few months out.

Not sure about your area, but around London, the Verbal Reasoning and Non Verbal Reading is key, and isn't taught except a schools prepping kids for 11+ type exams (because it's not a real subject, just exam junk)

DD needed an in person tutor. We bought the CGP books but she struggled to engage. A once a week face to face session with a tutor really helped. Just to say this was for an entrance exam not 11+ but the sentiment is the same. Started in the September of Yr 6 prior to end January exam.

@Rocksonabeach

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking about a similar approach but I thought he would be better off with something like Atom or Khan academy rather than me trying to explain? Also, to save time for myself in learning what to teach and how..

How did it work for you? Do you have teaching background?

@Koalatreats

Thank you. We tried doodle maths but it was more questions based rather than explicit teaching in a methodical way which is what I think DS needs.?

@SummerInSun

Thank you. I had a look at Atom
Learning quickly with a free trial account. It doesn't seem to have comprehensive teaching but maybe I've missed it?

The key issue with DS case I think is that he needs to learn new concepts at home, rather than lots of practice or exam technique at this stage...

@twistyizzy

Thank you. I plan to have a tutor for him but probably more like in mid Y5. Until then, I was hoping he can work on the foundation maths and English at home. The challenge is to learn new concepts ahead at home.