Maths teaching in Year 6

[daisysue2]

My dd who does struggle in school is finding the teaching of maths very difficult. My issue is that the curriculum seems to be all about teaching a topic, testing that topic and then moving on. There doesn't seem to be any going over the areas they haven't fully learned. They doen't ever send home a task that is not based on that topic. So for instance there has never been a learn your 8xs tables for a test on Monday. Practice double digit addition for next week. It all seems to be very general. Without any feedback to home on what is being done. I'm really concerned about the way they are teaching maths.

This is a top rated primary school, but not really sure that it means much as the school is in one of the wealthiest areas of the country.

Would just like to see what other people's experiences are and if they have had difficulties getting much out of the school with the maths curriculum.

My DD2 has struggled in the past with this - covering a topic, moving on, forgetting the topic, which may have only been grasped by the skin of the teeth, panicking when topic reappears in optional SATS tests or comes round again later at a higher level.

I had her tutored for half and hour a week through year 5, as her confidence had fallen low in year 4 and she was getting an 'I'm rubbish at Maths' attitude, and it's helped a lot, but I think the quality of maths teaching has also been a lot better in years 5 & 6 (where she is now), and the year 6 teacher seems to be ensuring they are very solid across the maths curriculum.

One thing they have been doing throughout KS2 in the last couple of years is using Schofield & Sims books for homework - the children spend about 10 mins an evening on them throughout the week, and the questions range all over the maths curriculum, asking questions in lots of different ways. It does help them not to forget how to do things they covered in class months ago, and it also helps to identify their strengths and weaknesses.

I don't know how they're viewed by teachers elsewhere, but I think they've been beneficial on the whole.

Yes my younger daughter in another school and in Year 3 uses these books and they are great. She has them for homework and they are supposed to do so much a week. But when I have asked for work to support the work they are doing in school they have just said go to WH Smiths and get some books. Not very helpful.

We use Maths Whizz and this has been great for teaching children (and parents) how they are taught maths using the current curriculum methods.

I watch my DS all the time when they are on the programme and I personally have learnt so much from it.

Their confidence has also improved dramatically and they are more willing to take on tasks that previously they would have chosen to avoid.

It is a subscription site, but if used weekly they will learn from it. The topics are repeated regularly and build up from the previous lesson in each strand of maths

what the kids needs is practice without getting boared!! so u need to manage to give the right mix of questions to keep the challange ON & give hand on practice. check the net for more papers, varieties. dont let the child do 50 problems on just addition...
some tutors also provide this type of help of supplying just the papers.. no teaching. check them out