The document discusses strategies for developing mental math skills in students. It outlines five core elements: using real-life contexts, mental flexibility, estimation, number discussion, and modeling strategies. Students are provided with a "number toolkit" of strategies to apply across their math learning. Teachers relate math questions to students' lives and use varied real-world contexts. The goal is to give students skills for life, learning, and work. Daily number talks and mental math are emphasized across the school. Formative assessments allow teachers to identify misconceptions and next steps.

1. 25th February 2016

2.  Five core elements of mental agility:
 Real life contexts
 Mental flexibility
 Estimation
 Number discussion
 Modelling mental strategies
 Providing our learners with a “Number
Toolkit” of strategies to apply across their
mathematical learning.

3.  Relating mathematical questions to the real life
world – asking pupils to connect their learning
from in school to their own lives.
 Worded problems within a variety of real life
contexts.
 Skills for life, learning and work.
 For example:
Applying number skills when in supermarket –
calculations to help work out “Buy One Get One
Free” or discounted prices/train station
times/percentages of amounts/fractions related to
everyday shapes etc.

4.  Quick fire recall of number facts to apply
across mathematical thinking.
 Known times tables facts which aid the
development of multiplication and division.
 Increased confidence overall in maths.
 Knowing which strategy is the most efficient
strategy to apply to a given calculation.

5.  Knowing a rough “guess” and having the
skills to eliminate inaccurate answers or
suggestions.
 Skills to justify why these should be
eliminated
 Quick and efficient strategies
 Rough guess which is then checked using
appropriate strategy.

6.  Doubles and near doubles/halving
 Partitioning
 Counting on and back
 Bridging and Adjusting
 Complements of numbers
 Factoring

7.  Scaffolding – building on prior knowledge –
what do we already know?
 Applying to known facts – number bonds to
20 and beyond, addition and subtraction
facts, times tables facts with related division
facts.
 Teacher and pupils demonstrating and
sharing thinking and successful strategies
and how to apply them.

8.  Number Talks embedded across the whole
school (daily)
 Mental Maths also included in mathematical
learning (daily)
 Mental maths skills also applied in over
contexts across the school.
 Variety of challenges
 Links to Problem Solving
 Sumdog – ICT support.
 Variety of resources.

9. Using 100 squares to
calculate factors of
numbers.
Applying a variety of
different strategies
to mental
multiplication tasks

10. High quality pupils
dialogue when
completing given
mental maths
challenges.
Group tasks to
support
understanding
of prime
numbers…

11. Successful
learning –
showing 8
differing
strategies and
sharing an
explanation to
allow other to
use them.
Applying NUMBER
TALKS strategies to
show how many
different ways I
could calculate an
answer.

12.  Raising attainment
 Boosts overall maths confidence
 “Have a go” ethos across the school
encouraging pupils to develop their
mathematical discussion and vocabulary –
encourages and promotes resilience towards
learning.
 Allows teachers to gauge misconceptions and
assess where pupils are in their learning,
leading to individualised next steps for
improvement.

13. At Mid Calder Primary the children
experience 3 days of number work and 1 Day
of topic maths. These lessons will follow this
structure:-
 Number Talks
 Mental Starter
 Teacher Talk
 Learning Activities
 Effective Plenary

14. The learning intention is what learners should know,
understand or be able to do by the end of a learning
experience. The focus should be on what is to be
learned as opposed to the task, activity or context.
The success criteria gives details of how pupils will
achieve the Learning Intention.

15.  LI: We are learning about improper fractions
and mixed numbers
 SC: I can explain what improper fractions and mixed numbers
are and can give examples of both
 SC: I can change a mixed number into an improper fraction
by changing the whole number into appropriate fraction parts
and adding on the remaining fraction
 SC: I can change an improper fraction into a mixed number
by working out how many whole ones can be made from the
parts

16. Station 1
Teacher Table
Station 2
Sum Dog
Station 3
Game Station

17.  ‘You get more help because we are in smaller groups and I get
less nervous asking for help if I need it.’
 ‘I like that the teacher can concentrate on group and then Mrs
Brown (PSW) can help with the other.’
 ‘We all help each other and it’s fun when one of the children
become the teacher.’
 ‘We get to do something different at every station, but we are
using the same skills. We learn more from this, because we are
on the netbooks, then play a game and then build up to
practicing the skills on paper.’
 ‘We know it’s not just the answer that is important, but the
strategy we use to get there.’

18.  Offers an environment for children to be
supported and challenged.
 Opportunities for problem solving and a
chance to apply learning to real life contexts.
 Self and Peer assessment
 Quality Feedback related to LI and SC –
supports them in making their next steps
 Gather a variety of assessments allowing
teachers to adapt future teaching
 Opportunities for quality plenaries

19.  Motivating
 Mental agility
 Problem solving approaches
 Estimation and reasonable answers
 Independent learning
 Accessible at home and school

20. Sept 2015 Oct 2015 Nov 2015 Jan 2016
Addition &
Subtraction
Addition &
Subtraction of
decimals
Multiplication 4
Operations
Pupil 1 48% 60% 66% 94%
Pupil 2 64% 84% 85% 100%
Pupil 3 11% 60% 88% 91%
Pupil 4 30% 88% 91% 96%
Pupil 5 56% 61% 95% 82%
Pupil 6 64% 77% 80% 88%
Pupil 7 58% 92% 95% 100%
Weekly
assessments
Improved confidence,
speed and accuracy
Children want to
improve

21. This can be working independently, with a pupil support
worker or in pairs or a team.
We use Heinemann active maths activity cards and
gameboards, concrete materials, make things such as
times table flash cards, make up own games for peers,
use dice, packs of cards, teaching clocks, number
squares etc.
All activities are linked to the learning intentions and
success criteria of each lesson.
Pupils are asked to give opinions on games, what were
the challenges with the tasks, how could we make them
even more challenging etc.
Discussions often occur during games relating to
strategies to use, feelings of own abilities about the task,
peers supporting each other and explaining different
ways to do things.

22.  Ask pupils questions when completing
shopping tasks/receipts calculations.
 Estimation and budgeting of pocket
money/allowance.
 Link to percentages of discounts of money.
 Using number process to calculate time
durations.
 Times tables practice.
 SUMDOG challenges and tasks at home.
 Homework support

23.  There are a range of useful websites which
can easily be accessed at home – these can
offer different types of
questions/mathematical topics for
discussion.
 These can be accessed on our school blog
where links to websites can be found.
 https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/wl/mcps/

24.  Thankyou for attending this evening.
 We hope you have found this session
interesting.
 If you would now like to examine a variety of
resources which are being used in school,
please move to the studio to have a browse.
 Please feel free to ask staff members any
questions.