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Numberjacks

6 replies

AbeSaidYes · 22/09/2015 11:36

My four year old (Soon to be 5) has just started reception and is very keen on numbers and maths. He loves the Numberjacks on TV (I can't make head nor tail of it!) - what other stuff would people recommend to keep his interest going.

Apps, programmes, books etc.
We have a great Richard Scarry book which he loves, lots of things to count and basic maths.

Anything else?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
RueDeWakening · 22/09/2015 13:47

Team Umizoomi on Nick Jr is great, lots about shapes, patterns as well as numbers and measuring. Slightly teeth itching, but not too bad!

Squeebles do some apps for early maths which are worth a look - the times tables and spelling apps are excellent once they reach that stage too.

Also, mine love the Gold Star workbooks (they call them "puzzle books", but stuff like dot to dot would work well, too.

HortonWho · 22/09/2015 13:51

TodoMath app is brilliant and will keep him going for years. It is really expensive to completely unlock but you can also do a lot for free to see how he gets on.

Also look at thinkrolls app - it's a puzzle type of thing where you have to strategise but my math-crazy kids love it.

Ferguson · 22/09/2015 22:55

I was a primary TA for twenty years, so I'll give you my standard reply on 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.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/page/default.asp?title=Woodlands%20Junior%20School&pid=1

AbeSaidYes · 23/09/2015 10:10

Oh that's fantastic thank you for taking the time to type out those ideas :)

I have to confess that I never properly learned my times tables - I mean if someone said 'what are seven nines' I wouldn't be able to tell them without working it out in my head first.

I'll work on some of these things for him :)

OP posts:
horsewalksintoabar · 23/09/2015 12:01

My kids LOVE Numberjacks (my eldest is 13 but my 5 year old continues to love and my tot too).
Try a colorful abacus for times tables. I found this really helpful and fun.

horsewalksintoabar · 23/09/2015 12:02

Colourful (sorry, my Americanitis revealed itself in my previous spelling- drives my husband mad).

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