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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Help with year 2 numeracy any ideas?

51 replies

MrsJamesMartin · 31/03/2009 22:51

DD is in yr 2 , she is 7 on friday. She has always struggled a bit with numeracy, shes fine with sorting, shapes, measuring, capacity etc all the visual practical things but struggles with the actual numbers.
She is currently the level below yr 2 average of 2b ( shes 2a or 2c can't remeber which)

I'm not really bothered about the SATs as they are pointless but she moves up to juniors this time so wanted her to have grasped these basics properly.

Can anyone suggest some books/websites that we could use to help her a little?

OP posts:

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snice · 31/03/2009 22:52

BBC Schools v.gd

scrooged · 31/03/2009 22:53

Have you tried the sweetie method, excellent for subtracting as you both get to eat them. The BBC have an excellent web site for children.

ingles2 · 31/03/2009 22:58

ds2 has really struggled with numeracy, he actually has dyscaluclia. He has really improved in the last year though (he's 7, yr 3)
We've really concentrated on the number bonds so
6+4=10, 4+6=10, and his times tables.
We've gone over and over and over it again until it is firmly entrenched. Having that basis seems to take the pressure off when he's trying to do simple calculations.
Also we play lots of board games with dice. and do lots of money problems.

Original poster

MrsJamesMartin · 31/03/2009 23:00

Are number bonds different ways to get to the same answer? Sorry to sound so thick, my maths is pretty dire, I think she takes after me unfortunately.

OP posts:

snice · 31/03/2009 23:05

Number bonds say to 10 are the combinations of numbers that make 10

i.e. 1+9/2+8/3+7 etc

morningsun · 31/03/2009 23:10

a game like monopoly has lots of mental maths,from the dice throwing to the money/buying properties and change from rentals etc

ingles2 · 31/03/2009 23:14

snice is right... if it becomes automatic to know the combinations of 10, it really helps with addition/subtraction.

kid · 31/03/2009 23:15

I think its a good idea to show the link between numbers bonds to 10 (6+4=10) and number bonds to 100 (60+40=100). As long as they grasp the numbers to 10, its much easier to build on from there.
Also to point out number bonds to 10 help with number bonds to 20 (6+4=10) (16+4=20)

The expected level for Year 2 is a 2b. A 2c is slightly below average and a 2a slightly above average. I agree that SATS are pointless too.

ingles2 · 31/03/2009 23:15

Start with bonds to 5, MrsJM and make sure she knows them, so
0+5=5
1+4=5
2+3=5
3+2=5
4+1=5
5+0=5

Original poster

MrsJamesMartin · 31/03/2009 23:17

Thanks everyone

OP posts:

MrsBartlet · 01/04/2009 08:05

Shut the Box is a great game for learning number bonds - we all enjoyed playing it! Here is a link!

Feenie · 01/04/2009 12:18

There aren't any SATs in Year 2 any more - Your dd will have been assessed all year and lots of evidence will have been gathered, a small part of which will be the results of a test. A teacher assessment will be reported at the end of the year, not the test result.

Ict games is a brilliant site to use with Year 2 children - is also lists the objectives next to the games so you can see which year group they are appropriate for, and so move forwards or back in the level of difficulty, so you can make sure children have really grasped the concept.
The place value games are particularly good for children who struggle with the concept of numbers.

Hth.

kid · 01/04/2009 19:45

Where my children go to school they still use Year 2 SATS.

They also have QCA assessments 3 times a year to monitor progress as well as being assessed by the teacher.

melissa75 · 01/04/2009 21:20

kid...we do the same, (am a KS1 teacher)formal assessments every halfterm in maths and literacy, and then the SATS test we write in May, although technically it can be written at any time throughout the year, but I think most people do them in April or May time. The KS1 SATS do still exist as a formal test format (although don't know of any teachers personally that tell the kids they are being "tested"), but the test is used as a overall clarification of what has been assessed throughout the year, so it is to help to verify the teacher assessment. In saying that, in my school it is still a REALLY big deal for KS1....we have been doing practise papers for the past 5 weeks...each school though may approach it differently.
MrsMartin...I responded to a post like this a while back, and will see if I can find a link to the thread to show you some more sites. One I use in my class all the time which will connect you with all sorts of games and activities and is organised by keystage, is www.mathszone.co.uk For books, scholastic has some good ones, otherwise have seen some fairly good ones in tesco recently which have some extra practise books for maths. BBC Bitesize is also a great site!

Feenie · 01/04/2009 21:22

It is statutory to use them, kid. But there is less emphasis on them because many other forms of evidence are now collected alongside them, to support the judgement of the teacher assessment. Only the teacher assessment is now reported at the end of the year.

Your school's assessment procedures follow this model also, if they are carried out several times a year - lots of informal teacher assessments, and less emphasis on testing.

Roll on bringing in the same for Year 6 - can't be too far away now!

Feenie · 01/04/2009 21:24

practice as a noun = practice

practise as a verb - to practise = practise

lilac21 · 01/04/2009 21:40

they're not really called SATs at all, but there are statutory assessments for children at the end of key stage 1 (ie year 2). These are published by QCA and are compulsory for all children with very few exceptions, eg children who have recently arrived in the UK and don't speak much English (but they still should be assessed in maths in their home language).

Results of these tests/tasks are reported to parents and the LEA, in addition to the teacher assessment levels. Where there is a discrepancy between the teacher assessment level and the level attained through the test or task, then the teacher's view takes precedence.

Children are tested in reading (either a written comprehension test at level 2 and 3, or a 1:1 session with a book at level 1 or 2), writing (two tasks plus a spelling test) and maths (separate papers for levels 2 and 3). Science results must also be reported, but there is no published test and these levels are usually arrived at through ongoing teacher assessment.

I'm a parent and a year 2 teacher, and I agree that the tests should be scrapped. 6 and 7 year olds don't need the stress and there are very rarely any surprises for the teacher in the results they get.

Feenie · 01/04/2009 21:45

"Results of these tests/tasks are reported to parents and the LEA, in addition to the teacher assessment levels."
Lilac, this may be true of your LEA, but it isn't true in others, and certainly isn't statutory. Most LEAs have moved away from this by now.

kid · 01/04/2009 21:56

It is statutory to use them, kid. But there is less emphasis on them because many other forms of evidence are now collected alongside them, to support the judgement of the teacher assessment. Only the teacher assessment is now reported at the end of the year.

That may be the way it is in your school, and I think it should be the same in all schools, but unfortunately my DC's school still use SATS for the childrens levels. If a child does not sit a test for whatever reason, then the teacher will assess them herself.

The whole class have been told about their SATS and they have been practising so its not really going to be low key when the time comes. My DS is quite relaxed about it anyway so I am not worried for him.

Feenie · 01/04/2009 22:03

If their LEA moderators go in, they will be shot!

I am glad that your ds is not stressed. Unfortunately, lots of other children will be. I cannot believe that 5 years down the line of KS1 teacher assessment there are still schools who practise for SATs. If a moderator came in, and the school produced simply test results as evidence and of paramount importance above the school's other assessment procedures, the school would fail.

kid · 01/04/2009 22:06

My daughter went through SATS 3 years ago and her assessments have gone downhill since then, she gets very stressed during assessments. I have actually enquired at the school if I can withdraw her from testing but the school brush me off.

Do you think I am within my right to refuse to let her take part? She is Year 5 now and has one more round of assessments to do this year. Her assessment results do not match up with her class work yet the teacher still uses her assessment results as her level. Her previous 3 teachers have all said that her assessment results are not a true reflection of her ability, so that just makes me think its a total waste of time and she is getting stressed for no reason at all.

Feenie · 01/04/2009 22:16

I would question your school's method of assessment - are they teacher assessing, and using your dd's classwork, or are they testing?

Over-reliance on tests isn't fair on your dd, and wouldn't necessarily be a true reflection of her ability, as you have found. I would ask about their assessment prcedures, and why they are relying so heavily on snapshots, instead of building up a picture of what she can do.

kid · 01/04/2009 22:21

I went to parents evening tonight, I wish I had asked that!
I can always approach her teacher about it again and see what she has to say.

What was said to me today was these are her levels but I know she panics in tests and could do so much better. She also has a private tutor who does not feel her given levels (from testing) is correct according to her work. I just keep being fobbed off and its getting on my nerves! I get told that she has to do tests throughout life so she might as well get used to them now

Really sorry for the thread hijack MrsJamesMartin.

Feenie · 01/04/2009 22:26

r.e. tests all her life - very helpful! Sounds as if the school are not confident in their teacher assessment - I wonder why not?Teacher assessment should be backed up by a formal assessment annually, twice annually at the very most, but not continually!

kid · 01/04/2009 22:28

They test the children every term. Shame they aren't as consistent when it comes to writing up IEPs!

So just to clarify, can I refuse to let her take part in the usual assessment and let her do the Year 6 SATS?

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