Maths - Silly mistakes.

[RomanyQueen1]

I'm looking for ideas how to help dd making silly mistakes.
She says no teachers have addressed this, but in tests she can make up to 25% of mistakes.

There are some things she'll never get, others she is working on and improving. I thought if there was something to help the silly mistakes her grade would improve, and up to 25% seems a waste.

An example would be getting an answer of 24 instead of 25, so understanding how to do the actual working out.

Does she show her working out in a clear and logic fashion

So every line of working is shown clearly, with clear legible numbers
Its clear what has changed from one line of working out to the next. No stages of the calculation are missing from working.
Everything on one side of an equals sign equals everything on the other everytime. Equals signs are lined up down the page.
If you make a mistake. One line through it. If its a big mistake start again on the line below

With DD1 we worked out what type of 'silly' mistakes she made so she could be on the look out for them. (We did this by looking at practice papers she had done, y9 tests etc.)

For her

• reading off graphs - guessing/assuming the value of the small squares rather than working them out
• 8^2 = 16 rather than the correct answer of 64
• screwing up when using negative numbers -> use number line for adding/subtracting and write a crib beside the question. Shoe knew 2x2=4 and -2x-2=4 thus when she thought about it knew -2x2=-4
• adding up in her head rather than using column method
• put in every step when doing algebra

Being aware of common issues really helped her avoid them.

And YES to laying things out clearly, though I find that exam papers tend to be too cramped.

Aw, thank you very much for the responses.
I'm not sure how she sets things at atm as haven't seen her work recently, will do at Easter.
I will have a look and make sure that the working out is clear and is correct throughout the sum.
I have some papers so can do a bit of this with her. This is so helpful, as wasn't sure where to start.

What you want to get down to is the method right but sometimes the numbers go wrong, or is the method wrong. The first should improve by tidying up your working and making sure you do everything very step by step. If its concept understanding it needs teaching input either from school, you or a tutor. Totally seconding using past papers to identify areas that need support.

So for the column method error metioned above if a kid was doing in in their head id expect to see no working out marks (eg crossing out on the carrying) and the answer might "lose" a unit or a ten here and there.
To improve that by get them to properly write out column method with each bit of carrying shown.
If they cant do that you have a concept problem

Good explanation of where column method can go wrong. (Though I meant DD was using her head for things when if only she'd have used the column method she'd have been fine! I wasn't at all clear.)

This actually makes complete sense, I don't always get the advice given.
I've printed off a couple of papers, one foundation and one higher.

Our school lets DD bring home every single maths or science test (ever since y7). It is really helpful for informing future revision or practice.

Mine never brings them home, neither do her friends, I've seen them all screwed up with sticky toffee papers broken pens, and Lord knows what.
They are disgusting animals, honestly.

Tonight, I'm going to tell her to bring them home or else
I have seen some but she isn't very organised.
It's hard not having any control, or very little, especially with education, you just have to trust. I find it very hard sometimes, just because I want to know where she is and what needs work.

Print off some sample questions online and get her to work.through then at home.

Writing out every step rather than skipping the seemingly easy parts that they do in their head helps. What year is she in?