RM Easimaths

[Riverside1]

I am looking for a maths programme for daughter in Yr1 as she is finding it hard, and have seen a couple of mentions of this. I've had a look at some of the other ones but they don't seem visual enough to keep my daughter's attention. This looks a little less repetitive than some of the others. Any more feedback much appreciated?
thanks

I was a primary TA for over twenty years. I'll add my standard information to help with early numeracy:

Practical things are best for grasping number concepts - bricks, Lego, beads, counters, money, shapes, weights, measuring, cooking.

Do adding, taking away, multiplication (repeated addition), division (sharing), using REAL OBJECTS as just 'numbers' can be too abstract for some children.

Number Bonds of Ten forms the basis of much maths, so try to learn them. Using Lego or something similar, use a LOT of bricks (of just TWO colours, if you have enough) lay them out so the pattern can be seen of one colour INCREASING while the other colour DECREASES. Lay them down, or build up like steps.

So:

ten of one colour none of other
nine of one colour one of other
eight of one colour two of other
seven of one colour three of other

etc,

then of course, the sides are equal at 5 and 5; after which the colours 'swap over' as to increasing/decreasing.

To learn TABLES, do them in groups that have a relationship, thus:

x2, x4, x8

x3, x6, x12

5 and 10 are easy

7 and 9 are rather harder.

Starting with TWO times TABLE, I always say: "Imagine the class is lining up in pairs; each child will have a partner, if there is an EVEN number in the class. If one child is left without a partner, then the number is ODD, because an odd one is left out."

Use Lego bricks again, lay them out in a column of 2 wide to learn 2x table. Go half way down the column, and move half the bricks up, so that now the column is 4 bricks wide. That gives the start of 4x table.

Then do similar things with 3x and 6x.

With 5x, try and count in 'fives', and notice the relationship with 'ten' - they will alternate, ending in 5 then 10.

It is important to try and UNDERSTAND the relationships between numbers, and not just learn them 'by rote'.

An inexpensive solar powered calculator (no battery to run out!) can help learn tables by 'repeated addition'. So: enter 2+2 and press = to give 4. KEEP PRESSING = and it should add on 2 each time, giving 2 times table.

There are good web sites, which can be fun to use :

www.ictgames.com/

www.resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/index.html

I didn't know Easimaths, but RM is a long established and reputable company in Education. I've had a quick look, and if you have £35 to spare, then give it a try. My two links, above, will probably do just as well, and are free.

Really helpful thank you Ferguson

Agreed - year 1 should be practical and visual. But I really wouldn't get into times tables yet. She needs to be able to add and subtract accurately, firstly with numbers up to 10 and then numbers up to 20. Find 1 more and 1 less than any number up to 20 then 50 then 100. Recognise that 23 is made up of 2 tens and 3 units (ones). I also do lots with number lines - race to be the first person to put their finger on, say 17. Can they go straight to the right part of the line or do they have to count up from 1 every time? Simple (ie up to 5 then 10) doubles and then halves. Counting in 2s, 10s and 5s. But all the time, counting objects, drawing pictures, moving things around.

The year 1 curriculum isn't particularly broad or challenging and there's lots of repetition, but that's because so many key concepts are introduced. The children keep coming back to the same thing over and over again in different ways to ensure they've really got their heads round them and can recall the various facts on auto pilot.

Incidentally, I evaluated a number of different on-line programmes for my school last term and concluded that for KS1, Easimaths was the most appropriate and best value for money.