how to improve/ boost maths - year 5?

[pasok1000]

My DD got transferred into a 2nd set in maths in her school. she is really motivated to get to the 1st( she has always been in 1st group). We started doing extra math at home, just going through topics she has learnt, with writing out in the maths excercise book. THere are programems online, but I dod not use them for now, as think that writing out might help her more with taking information in? Please what strategies would you suggest to boost maths skills - how muh extra, in what way shall we structure our extra studies? Thnk you

I'm sure some people would say that if your DD has been moved into the second set, maybe that's where she belongs, and blah blah.

However, if she's keen to work on her maths, that's a good thing.

Are you in an 11-plus area? If so, some children might have been tutored this year and have gone 'ahead' of your DD as a result.

You could try some workbooks aimed at Y5, to give her extra practice at the current level. That would highlight any weaknesses, if there are any, and just increase her fluency. I quite like the CGP ones - they have a Y5 targeted study book matched to the curriculum, and a question book, and 10-minute tests. Schofield & Sims do a mental arithmetic book which is also quite good.

CGP Y5 targeted question book

Schofield & Sims mental arithmetic

If you're looking for something online, Nrich is very good, and free. For a moderate subscription fee, IXL might suit her: I believe it's an American company, but it is mapped reasonably well to our curriculum, and contains lots of little practice sessions on each topic, by year.

Does she actually like doing the maths online? As if she does there are lots of good resources, from WhiteRose, BBC Bitesize, Oak National, MyMaths, MyCity which variously offer tutorial sections, tests and questions, and sections that "gamify" maths in a very engaging way. There are some good YouTube tutorials for elementary math which are helpful explaining concepts too.

My DD liked a combination of resources, and eventually enjoyed doing the age 9/10 and age 10/11 books preparing her for 11+. She isnt actually going to do 11+ but she likes the workbooks.

Carol Voderman’s themathsfactor.

www.themathsfactor.com/lockdown-learning/?year=5

21 days Free trial. Videos of the learning. Games. Practice sessions. ‘Online testing’. Maths by year group and you can go back over topics if you need to.

I signed up over LD1 and was very impressed. Depends if online only is for you though.

Take a look.

A tutor? I have been really impressed with the difference a tutor (qualified and experienced primary school teacher) has made to my daughter's abilities.

We are using the CGP year 5 stretch maths workbook to supplement the maths coming back from school. It starts with a review of the Y5 maths curriculum (which DS did without issue), and then goes on to use the skills taught in Y5 in a slightly more indepth or complex way. They also have extended problems every few pages, but there are no answers to those bits, so we tend to talk through them together.
We also play with NRich, sudukos and other number puzzles.

I guess it depends if you want to extend current maths skills or reinforce the existing skills.

Does she know all her times tables upside down and back to front including related division facts? They are supposed to know these by the end of year 4, but this years year 5s are the weakest cohort I’ve had for this due to missing almost all of summer term, when the teacher would usually have been really pushing it. So much of y5/6 maths is dependent on fluent recall of these so if she hasn’t got that that will be what’s holding her back. Work on these over anything else.

Otherwise, workbooks from WH Smith’s or wherever, at y5 level, or an online program will help. I heard good things about Komodo maths a few years back, and the carol vordeman one mentioned above.