Year 1 child struggling with maths despite strong phonics, any advice?

[Dobbysocks]

6 year old in year 1. Amazing at phonics and well ahead with this. Really struggling with maths. Finds basic adding and subtracting confusing. Counting in multiples of 2s, 5s and 10s even worse. Fine with the word problems and shapes. Have tried every day maths when cooking, playing, lots of number games, number blocks tv. Nothing seems to help him. I’m really worried he’s going to fall behind. School have said he’s not where expected at this stage for maths.

Dreading this term where division and multiplication will be added in.

Any advice? Anyone have a similar picture in year 1 and then it got easier as time went on? We do as much as we can at home weekly but I don’t want to go down the route of a tutor with such a little one. (Which is what was suggested by school)

Is this directed at me, or the first reply on tge thread? You've quoted me, but I thought I was helping?

If he is having trouble with number bonds then before you practice these make sure he’s secure with the underlying concepts. The website quoted by the pp goes through the stages before number bonds - ordering, subitising, partitioning etc. Make sure he’s confident with these, then have another go at number bonds.

I learned most of my early maths by seeing the problems so we’d have money, counters etc and being able to see 2 counters plus 3 etc helped me massively, I have dyscalculia as do 2 of my sons and visual learning has been much easier. They are only Y1 so might just be off to a confusing start and get better with confidence and age. But make it fun, I remember a teacher taking me outside we measured stuff. Used money in a ‘virtual shop’ baked etc wasn’t like learning at all.

Get him playing with Lego constantly

OP I am in a similar position with our 5yo (also Yr 1). In fact I posted a thread about it on here a few weeks ago after parents' evening. I got lots of good advice from posters. You're not alone!

If it were me, I would go back to basic 1-10 additions + and then later subtractions.

I feel like often children who struggle with maths, have missed the foundational learning, and then get very stuck when the sums get harder and the numbers get bigger.

Get something that he can use to build the maths sums. (I used magentic blocks for my son, like these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ToyUnited-Magnetic-Building-Blocks-Montessori/dp/B0DQGR47MY/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1NFJXAT2PNGBZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NtAasZhdREX0_-xuH2K67jZdUMuDah8gFJpCBtnlL-lfNAtjGWgLDMhWehHK2UUqU6z7yZ4zWIXupmuPKoc1vj-XlGYg1R2DbWKMQ3lIBE-nUSaFiXl9p2SF2tAmYP4I5QF3nkV0YhbO3jEX-cLt9zGCiAtZD9u_JYlauBUW3WYUXPf4W7JFI2wBl4nCjXErWwh7geoPThLl8NNrYxBhkR6ow-kTUtlpHN6FRUl3RXpc0TbqhpKT0Cco2gfJglb9qs_ZWyj0K08kGvJQKDzxu1ANyvAopmgaomffKl0pF-4.Vi--gvtN4OhXi4QumVqs6s7rkLlWegqfSc7-QFQjKlU&dib_tag=se&keywords=magnetic%2Bmaths%2Bblocks&qid=1777262885&sprefix=magnetic%2Bmath%2Caps%2C780&sr=8-6&th=1 )

Then start from scratch again. 10 minutes before bed, every night.

Following an order like this:

1, Counting with pointing
2, Recognizing numbers without counting (e.g. 4 cubes in a square, being able to quickly see 3, etc.
3, Addition combinations up to 5. (1+1, 2+1, 2+2, 2+3)
4, Addition combinations up to 8
5, Addition combinations up to 10
Then subtraction up to 10,
Then adding 10s
Then adding numbers that go over 10s
Then adding small to big numbers
etc. etc.

Slowly building, but only moving on to the next step when he can do the previous one easily and confidently without struggling.

If you have a hard time motivating him each night, build in a star/reward chart, that he can add to to earn a treat each time he gets a few sums right.

Then just be patient and don't try and rush it.

Playing shops can help - you could set up a market stall, maybe get a toy cash register. Games like monopoly (at that age my kids had a version for younger children called dogopoly), pairs/snap (good for spotting patterns), card games, orchard toys games. Sharing out chocolate buttons or smarties in portions (half, quarter, thirds). Playing with stem toys generally- smart toys are particularly good for developing that side of the brain. Also magnet tiles.