MATHEMATICS

Wilkes Green Junior School

Pupils and Teachers at Wilkes Green celebrated a Maths Week for pupils and parents. A wide range of activities were packed into the week which began with an interactive performance of "Sum Times" by the Sculpture Theatre Company.

Maths Co-ordinator, Jackie Small, has provided the following information about some of the things they did.

information for parents:

Welcome to our Maths Week!

Your child will be Involved in a variety of mathematical activities this week. You can get involved too! How?

1. Participate in the family maths quiz.

2. Sponsor and encourage your child to do well in the table's test.

3. Help him/her learn their mathematical spellings.

4. Discuss with your child the work they are doing in maths at school, particularly this week.

5. There are also many ways of working on mathematics with your child, such as incorporating maths into normal home activities e.g. cooking, shopping, etc., and encouraging your child to participate. Some suggestions are included in the booklet.

Remember - you do not have to be a mathematician to help your child!!

Mathematics Textbooks

Many of the large bookstores stock a wide variety of mathematical textbooks, with staff that can help you choose appropriate books for the age of your child.

Suggested bookstores:

W.H.Smith
Waterstones
Dillons

All of these have a children's educational section.

Suggested books:

Prices vary but on average:
£2 - £5

Ginn books 3 - 6, and their "Using and Applying" books. These are used in school.
Practice in the Basic Skills : Mathematics 1 - 5 provide formal maths practice. Again used in school.
K.A.Hesse basic four-rule books (LONGMANS) provide formal maths practice.
Books testing children's mental arithmetic are a good investment and there are numerous on the market.
The B.B.C. have also produced a good book for parents, entitled "Helping your child with maths".

Alternatively, large supermarkets have begun selling educational textbooks for children that are both stimulating and fairly cheap (from 99p - £1.50.)

Ones that I would particularly recommend are by "Ladybird" publications:

For very young children:

Learning to count

Learning to add and take away

For young children:

Maths made easy

Exploring maths

Fun with maths

More fun with maths

Practice times-tables

**It is worth discussing with your child's teacher if considering buying any books**

In addition many board games can help a child's mathematics:

Monopoly ( money, adding/subtracting, probability ), bingo ( number patterns, number recognition), Snakes and ladders ( number recognition probability, counting on, adding/subtracting).

Remember: games make maths fun

Mathematics Homework

Each week your child will receive some mathematical homework. Take this opportunity to work with your child - it will enable your child to grow in confidence, help overcome any problems, and revise any work occurring in the classroom. It may give you an insight into your child's mathematical abilities, and provide you with a basis for discussion on Parent's evenings.

Discussion with your child

Talking with your child about their work can raise the profile of maths, and make your child more enthusiastic for the subject. It can also help them to realise the importance of maths. Children may enjoy your support and interest in their work, and so enjoy the subject more.

Informal chats may help to reinforce new concepts learned at school.

Wilkes Green Junior School

Family Quiz

1. Days in a week ______

2. Wonders of the world ______

3. Number of wheels on 6 cars ______

4. Shoes in 10 pairs ______

5. Letters in the alphabet ______

6. Loaves in a Baker’s dozen ______

7. Goldilocks and the ____ bears

8. Days in June and July ______

9. 10p coins in £5.00 ______

10. A cat has this many lives ______

11. Dudley Moore film ______

12. Eligible age for voting ______

13. Half of a dozen ______

14. Days in a leap year ______

15. Number of green bottles in a song ______

16. Route in America, also a song ______

17. Number of blind mice in nursery rhyme ______

18. Sixties soap - Emergency Ward ____

19. Fireball XL____

20. People who were in Take That ______

21. Unlucky for some ______

22. Cards in a pack (excluding jokers) ______

23. 12 x 8 = ______

24. Seconds in a minute ______

25. The key of the door ______

26. Divide 100 by 2, add ? to make 100 ______

27. Blackbirds in a pie ______

28. I spend 22p out of £1 - change I have left ______

29. East ____ (pop group)

30. How many soldiers did the Grand Old Duke of York have? ______

Each question has a number as the answer. Find the number for each question and then add all the answers together to give one final total. ______

Tie-breaker - no more than 15 words (should more than one family have the correct answers)

Numbers are important because . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Family name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Child’s name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Child’s class: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Information for teachers

1997 YEAR OF NUMERACY

WILKES GREEN JUNIOR SCHOOL MATHS WEEK

ACTION PLAN

10 - 14th MARCH 1997

ACTION	DETAILS	RESOURCES	TO BE COMPLETED BY
WORKING PARTY	Representative from each year group To meet during SMT
HALLBOARDS	Mathematical/IT theme	Ref.: Mathematical display book See Art post-holder	All staff
SCULPTURE THEATRE CO.	To perform play "Sumtimes" Mon. 10th March 1.15 - 2.15 Workshop (30 pupils) 2.20 - 3.20 p.m.	Resource pack - to arrive this term List of pupils	Confirmed by Jan Midgley on 22/11/96 Maths post-holder letter
SPONSORED TABLES TEST	To be photocopied and distributed before half-term After half-term, test to be given during 66 ‘club session	Worksheets to be photocopied Explanatory letter to be attached	Maths post-holder & secretary
MATHEMATICAL SPELLINGS	Mathematical spellings to be set for this week Differentiated per year group	Spelling lists - photocopied	Maths post-holder
CERTIFICATES	"Congratulations - you are a school maths week champ" Given to each child who participates in the maths week	Certificates to be made on school’s computer - to be photocopied	Judith
COMPETITIONS	Family quiz - all children to be encouraged to work with family Pupil competitions Lower school: 1) guess length of a piece of string 2) guess no of marbles in a bag Upper school: 1) guess weight of parcel 2) guess liquid in bottle	- Quiz worksheet to be created and photocopied - prize string, marbles, answer sheet, prize parcel, bottle answer sheet, prize	Judith/Helen Jackie - marbles, answer sheet Pat/Jackie Answer sheet - Jackie
PARENT’S WORKSHOP	Monday 10th March 3.30 - 4.30 · discuss maths week · discuss family quiz · NC · school’s policy · homework · questions	Homework booklet - photocopied and distributed Maths examples/samples/resources on display	Maths post-holder
MATHS CHALLENGE	· Each year group to have a maths challenge to be completed during topic maths sessions · Challenge to be related to maths topic for term, e.g. Y3 Eggstravaganza Y4 Smartie Pants! (Smartie investigation) Y5 Make a ‘shape’ game for 5/6 year old. Y6 On yer bike - bicycle investigation · challenge to incorporate AT1/practical application of term’s topic · Can be used as assessment	Smarties - work pack card, paper Heinemann P7	Working party led by post-holder
ASSEMBLIES	Mon. 10th: Intro. maths week & activities Wed 12th: Class assembly - "ABC of maths" Fri. 14th: Prize giving		Maths post-holder Y5 & 3 Maths post-holder
EVALUATION	Evaluate staff · evaluate pupils, Mon. 17th March Y5.2 to collate pupils’ evaluations on info. workshop · feedback to head/SMT/staff	Design & distribute evaluation forms · staff · pupils info workshop report	Maths post-holder

... The overwhelming response from staff and pupils was to have another maths week next year!