Maths workbook recommendations for a five-year-old?

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DS (nearly five) is hungry for numbers at the moment - he can't seem to get enough of all things counting, adding, taking away, lots of, etc.

His teacher says he's strong in this area, but weak in the writing of numbers/letters. (He's still four, FFS.) Anyway, we wonder, if we can find him an engaging maths workbook, if he'll be so into the content that he won't realise he'll be improving his writing at the same time.

So any suggestions for a really good maths workbook for a nearly five-year-old who's strong in this area? And in fact for any tips on improving the handwriting of a reception-age child who's interested in anything but?

Thanks.

there won't be much in the way to 'improve writing' in a maths workbook though - it's mostly numbers with the odd word or two to write in. They're all much the same really. I'm not a big fan of workbooks (too much like worksheets at school and I say that as a teacher) why not look at some boardgames specifically for maths instead?

Tesco sell some dry wipe books with lots of space to practice writing numbers/letters.

Don't do it. He's 4. It is IMPOSSIBLE to be weak at any area of school work at 4. Tell the teacher to take a running jump. And go to the park.

I agree. I hate it that, before he's finished the first year of school, DS's 'weaknesses' have been identified. If I had my way, school wouldn't be starting for at least another year. But we're in the system, and I don't want DS to be knocked by his teacher banging on about some imaginary weakness. We were told only a few weeks into his first term, when he was four and a few months, that his pen control was crap. Erm, so what?

ramonaquimby, his teacher wants his writing in general - including of numbers - to be worked on; we thought that focusing on numbers, which he's interested in, would be the gentlest and most effective avenue. I was only going to leave the workbook lying around - honest ...

Thanks BestFootForward. And seeker, we're going cycling this afternoon.

Change schools!

WHSMITH is the best place for 1001 workbooks and Wilkinsons have lots too.

Seems odd as most Reception teachers do not encourage this sort of thing at all as they end up being very bored in Maths in Yr 1 when they are still only expected.

coxhoe durham's primary website is fab for giving you an idea of what is expected.

Our infants school is very low key about pressurising the writing and at parents info evenings we are told that play dough, bead threading and cutting are much more important for improving pencil grip than stressing aboutletters.

If they are doing cursive writing from the outset it is accepted that they all , but epsecially summer born boys will find it quite tricky until well into year 1.

The only thing they might insist on is that we watch out for 2 and 3 and numbers like 31/41/13/14 are the right way round as at this stage they can still find this very difficult. This is however not until Autumn of Yr 1 as there are homework tasks at all until then.

sorry keyboard or fingers v.random
expected to manipulate number bonds to 20 in the Autumn of Year 1 and they have NO homework til Year 1

my dd has this maths sticker book which we get out now and again, its a big book and the stickers are fun - stickers on nearly every page but some writing.

or there are loads of things on sparklebox website - literacy and numeracy

Has his teacher asked you to do this? If so then they should be providing you with the material. If they have just said that he is weak in those areas without suggesting that specific action be taken then I wouldn't bother.

I was told at parents' evening that ds (4) doesn't always concentrate. Nothing I can do about that as he concentrates beautifully when he is interested in something. I told his teacher that he must find whatever he isn't concentrating on boring and it is her job as a teacher to resolve this (said not in the abrupt way I've written it here). She agreed and also reiterated that there was nothing I need to do at home.

My DS, who loves numbers, chose afive minute maths book as a treat whilst shopping and seems to really enjoy the 'bite-size' aspect of them.

I would also if he isnt concentrating with a pencil use other mediums for example shaving foam, chalks and chalk board, white board and pens, paints, smash

I would also verbally re enforce the number formation:

1 would be top to bottom
2 around down and across
3 around and around
4 down across cut him in the middle
5 down give him a fat tummy put a hat on his head
6 down and around
7 across and down
8 do a ss and join it up
9 around up to the top and down
10 1 then a 0

hope that helps

smash by the way is that poudered mashed potato

I'm a reception teacher and I think workbooks for 4 year olds should be banned. All they teach children is how to jump through hoops to please adults not provide understanding. If your son has a strength in number celebrate it don't spoil it with workbooks.

Lots of fun things to develop his muscles he will need for writing and large movements to establish the shape of numbers and letters in his memory.

mrz i agree with you too often I see death by worksheet but I do have to say our reception bar 2 ( who realy are not ready) do a lanuage or maths worksheet a day as in year 1 they will HAVE to be able to use pencil correctly write numbers neatly ect

Dont do workbooks he needs to develop the muscles in his fingers, get him doing playdough, lego, writing in sand and with chalks on the garden slabs.

Worksheets are a bit no no in Reception these days, rightly so.

Wow. Thanks for all the posts. Didn't realise this carried on for a bit after I was last on here.

Helpful advice from all of you. In my heart, I'm not a worksheets fan either. School do want encouragement with DS's fine motor skills and pen use, though.

The thing is, DS has been LEGO (little LEGO, not DUPLO) mad for a couple of years, and builds his own models frequently. He reads fine, and does sums in his head, but doesn't like the pen-to-paper bit, despite seeming to have OK fine motor skills.

It's transpired that he has an issue with making mistakes. It's come up with cutting out (when he can't cut a perfectly straight line), colouring in (when he goes outside the lines) and writing - if he makes a slight mistake/it isn't neat, he wants to give up and thinks he's stupid.

I have never made him feel this way directly, but I have my own issues with perfectionism in my work, which have at once got me far and held me back, IYSWIM. And I automatically do everything written/arty neatly - which may have unintentionally raised his expectations of himself? I'd love to free him from the pressure he feels to do things perfectly. It seems this is putting him off having much of a go at writing letters/numbers, and so he's not getting much practice in.

So anti-perfectionism tips could be more useful! I can empathise with him, though, and I'm not proud of teaching him this by osmosis.