Quick advice on maths books for yr4 average/bright child please...

[timetosmile]

DC is a bright little button, likes school and applies herself well to her work and actually likes numbers (one of those children who will happily sit down with a suduko when everyone else's watching ScoobyDoo) so I'm not looking for remedial help.
Her teacher said she was 'on target' for average/above average but not superbright but her confidence is really taking a dent.

Her 'Mental Maths' weekly homework sheets (schofield and sims)are a bit stretching rather than consolidating - which I suppose is OK, but she is getting demoralised that she doesn't 'get' concepts in written questions e.g. a train leaves a at 10.00 travels at x km/h, how long till it arrives as b?

My (and I think her ) problem is that she doesn't get enough rows of the same type of sums in one go to really get the hang of how to approach a particular question...

Can anyone - parent or KS2 teacher suggest a workbook/series/download I could buy to practise larger groups of the same type of question, at this level?

Thanks so much

I would recommend Target Maths
You can click on some pages to get an idea of contents.
I like it because it has a, as easy, b, as intermediate and c, as more difficult. Some DCs need them all, some can just do c. They can find their level. It is often good to do a, anyway to give confidence. However don't get if they use at school.

I don't know if I would drill her with more questions of the same kind. I think it's good if the child has to re-read a questions that looks new to her/him, and to think about it, instead of knowing how to do it right away.
I would suggest something like "Challenge your pupils" by the Mathematical Association (www.m-a.org.uk/jsp/index.jsp?lnk=254)

The problems start easy and get harder and harder. The questions are all different, and there is no recipe to solve them. Even if the child cannot do a question, don't solve it for her, but let her think about it. Leave it for a week, then ask her to try again. Maybe give hints, but don't ruin the solving excitement.

I think this is the kind of challenge that pupils need rather then more arithmetic drilling. But maybe I am wrong.

I would agree, except that I thought she sounded the sort of DC who would like a formal exercise and chance to get it right.

If she would be better with games I would try Woodlands Junior School Maths Zone

rather than, not rather then

yes, I guess if she wants to get quicker at arithmetic, computer games should be more fun than worksheets.

I like this one: www.sumdog.com

Thanks, all good suggestions - exoticfruits, I think you're right..that's the kind of girl she is.
I'm really looking to build her confidence and capacity in recognising 'ah, a simplifying fractions questions' or 'I need to turn everything into cm's before I can work it out', so she feels a bit better equipped to have a go at things. Her arithmetic is actually pretty good.

I agree with exotic fruits, 'maths on target' by Stephen Pearce is a great resource - plenty of content so kids can really get to grips with a particular theme.
Worded questions are always going to be more challenging, but practice makes perfect - try the following for free print out of worded problems - <a class="break-all" href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110202093118/nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/47047" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110202093118/nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/47047

My kids have also used games which present worded problems in a more fun way - check out www.poraora.com, which has a daily puzzle section, and is also great for consolidating times tables etc etc

Sounds just like my son - an assessment said he should be on level 4 s and s mental maths booksbuthomework took hours, lots of tears...I took some advice and it turns out that the syllabus to prepare them for level 4 is not taught in y 4...I asked their teacher to put him back to level 3and all is well , enough of a stretch but still capable of completing homework without loads of supervision - in summary issues were not to do with his ability but simply what had been taught ( or not)

Very visual thinkers/learners can have problems interpreting word questions/problems. Can you draw little sketches/diagrams etc to help "see" what is happening. Then help her to draw her own. She might particularly enjoy this if you got her a small whiteboard and dry-wipe pens to do it with.

I home ed my eleven year old and we used all the Target Maths books - they re brilliant. We then went on to their follow on for secondary, Essential Maths.
Lots of different level questions in all the books, lots of consolidation, possibility to do harder sums in some topics.
We tried a lot of things - did Schofield and Sims to the last book, really good. Did online stuff too.
You could look at CIMT Portsmouth.
Search the net, but buy Target Maths. Especially now several people have recommended it!

Sounds good - I'm on it!
Thanks ladies x

Please check with the school before you show your DD the pitch and expectations that NobodySaidItWasEasy showed you.

We use the pitch and expectation documents for our assessments, and you might ruin the teacher's assessments if your DD already knows the answers!