Maths homework help please

Probably not Jalima, but many here are saying that the basic grounding is often what is lacking.

I do think it's necessary to be a few jumps ahead. Not sure about now but I had 'o' grade maths and arithmetic when I undertook PGDE in 1971. One of these was a requirement.
Like you, I can handle simple equations but not beyond that. I think it's because I couldn't see a practical need for pure maths and so wasn't interested in the theoretical!

To be honest, a grade C/Level 4 in GCSE maths doesn't guarantee a very high standard. These days, most reasonably able students will have GCSEs in English, maths, science, a humanity and a foreign language plus other subjects such as art, music or a technology. BEd courses usually look for Bs across all subjects, as do the more prestigious primary PGCE courses. I think that's how it should be. In Finland, even primary school teachers have to have a masters, which is possibly one of the reasons they achieve so highly. My children (and the rest of the class) were doing tasks such as triangulation and simultaneous equations before they left primary school, but I've seen secondary school pupils, who went on to achieve a C, struggle with those.

PS. I only know about the system in England.

I used to tutor maths to older pupils who needed support. I found many had never mastered their times tables and were completely freaked out when they tried to learn them. They were often provided with charts to use, 0 - 10 along the top and the same down the sides with each box containing the number at the top of the column multiplied by the number at the corresponding row. One thing I found that seemed to help was to show them just how much they already knew. They knew their 2x table, and the 4x table, also most of the 3x. None of them had trouble with the 5x and 10x and the tricks with the 9x table are very effective. We crossed out the answers we knew on the chart which included both 3x9 and 9x3 for example. As these were older pupils, they also knew square numbers, which were also discarded. The 6x 7x and 8x tables caused most problems but they knew all the lower multiples of the numbers and they were all crossed out too. In the end, they were left with about 5 multiplications that they needed to learn. I then tackled those few individually, trying to work out the best way to help them to learn. Basically, once they were happy that 7x8 (8x7) = 56 they felt they had got it! I'm hopeless at arithmetic but am blown away by the beauty of mathematics. I struggled at school, assuming I was hopeless at maths. I'm not, I just didn't respond well to the way I was taught and it knocked my confidence for years. My last job required complex mathematics and it was great.

I was taught very badly at GCE level and didn't want to take it any further because I ended up hating it (because of the algebra) - but wished I had later as it could have been useful.

NanaMacGeek I agree with you about the beauty of maths! I feel the same about the beauty of German word order and irregular verbs. Yes, I know that makes me a bit odd, but I don't care.

Years ago, my daughter had to do GCSE maths course work on Pythagorean triples - a2 + b2 = c2 (3,4,5; 5,12,13, etc). I hadn't realised how many fascinating patterns could be found. Explaining the patterns was even more fascinating. Long after she had finished the coursework, I became obsessed with them. Amazingly, I realised that I'd already started 'playing' with the patterns at primary school.

At the age of 11, there's a 7 year gap in children's ability in maths. Some have the skills of an average 14 year old, while others have the skills of an average 7 year old - and everywhere in between. Primary school teachers need to be abler to teach those who are well on the way to GCSE level.

Good point DD. We solved the problem by setting over 4 classes - in maths only. I was very happy with a biggish group who were coping well but had lots of questions. My friend enjoyed her smaller group of high achievers. There was another group like mine and a small one which needed a lot of support with teacher and TA. It worked well and was flexible enough to allow ransfers between groups.

Iv always found the add on method the best if I get stuck.

But for the 9s, here's a trick - the product always adds up to 9. For example, 9 x 3 = 27 and if you add across, 2+7 = 9. Same with all the 9s. Try it.

The ten is always 1 less than the number you're multiplying by as well in the 9x.

So as an example for 6x9

6-1=5
5+4=9
So 6x9=54

Away from multiplication tables, I'm doing some numeracy work with a lad in his 20s who's starting an apprenticeship. We've been looking at fractions, decimals, and percentages. While we were talking about money as decimals, I showed him a pounds, shillings and pence addition - the expression on his face was priceless! He just couldn't understand why it was so complicated - and then I told him about stones, pounds and ounces; yards, feet and inches.....

OP Loads of good (and varied!) ideas on here. Try some out and see what DGD enjoys doing.
I used to have a set of exam papers from when I was 10. All, including arithmetic, were 95-100% with one exception. The table test. It always made me panic, I couldn't come up with instant answers. I just couldn't learn them although I was clearly USING multiplication to work out answers. I got into grammar school and had no further problems, in due course getting a comfortable, not a 'scraped', pass at O level. Obviously I had somehow learnt them but i think it happened by using them, not by learning them by rote. I think I used to go through the table adding until I got to the bit I needed which is not possible in a quick fire table test.
I then became a primary teacher. I always ensured that my pupils first understood what tables were. We made them from plastic or wooden cubes. We drew buildings with various rows of windows. The chanting only came after the children understood what tables were from holding them or drawing them in many different forms.
Some children find it far more difficult to learn tables than others however hard they try.
My advice would be try plenty of games, on and off line, use concrete equipment, beads, counters, cotton reels, whatever is around and they'll come in time.

OP was from January '17

Just saying

Hi! I would like to offer you one method of remembering. Did you notice that the phone number is usually written through spaces? Because of this habitual perception, we fix numbers in memory in the form of several blocks of information, which allows us to store them longer. This method can be useful for any other data. Here www.homeschoolmath.net/teaching/md/oral_drilling.php you can see how to memorize multiplication tables using a structured drill. Also, using math help or Math Trainer you will be easier to understand how to shave with various formulas and tables, how to perform calculations.

I learned tables in the 50’s by rote, the whole class chanting them together. Every day. My gd is impressed because i am still pretty fast and accurate even after all these years.

I left school at just 15 so didnt do any exams, until much later, but have always enjoyed numbers. interested to read some of these nUmber clues which i will try out with her.

I did post recently about any number games grans may recommend because my gd nearly 8 is already saying she isnt very good at maths. And i am told that some in her class already have private tutoring.

Being about to recite tables by rote does not mean a child understands or can use these to manipulate numbers.

I’ve bought Numicon and the grandchildren used it to help with maths problems. It’s very hands on and build up all their number bonds in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

It’s very much an ‘I do and I understand’ piece of apparatus.

That sounds interesting Friday will check it out. Thanks.

Young chlldren need to use all their senses when learning. Like adults, children take in information about their world in a variety of ways: auditory (through their ears) visual (through their eyes) tactile (through touch).

In the ‘old days’ when it was largely ‘chalk and talk’ those who were good at auditory learning tended to be then successful ones. Those who were more visual and tactile learners fell by the wayside.

Numicon is great for everyone, but it especially helps those who learn better through visual and/or tactile methods. GS3 (7) who is very bright, but one of the youngest in his class, was struggling with conceits such as 7x? =35.

Out came the Numicon at my house one night and Bingo! The penny dropped!

It’s great for teaching fractions too.

Practice, practice, practice.
There is no easy way to learn tables; rote and repetition is ultimately the only way to instil them permanently, then application in practical situations improves understanding.
Constant questioning through out the day reinforces tables until they become second nature.

Not about learning tables it's about being able to use them

Exactly. There is no point in learning by rote or using any of the tricks and easy ways that have been posted on this thread,if you don't understand the process. You may get some answers. right but without understanding you will struggle later on.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Make a template with a sheet of A4 fold in half then half again, both ways- with a ruler mark the lines and scan and copy or photocopy at the PO or ...

in each box, write a table question, like 4 x 9 - and the answer on the back (careful, it will be on opposite side, line them up carefully)- then cut.

prepare an envelope for each of the more difficult times tables and put the in a box and practise them by putting one x table at a table- and looking at each in time and give answer, then turn to check. All incorrect ones are put aside- then tackled again twice.

When all table quite 'solid' - make a big game with mixing some from each envelope...

Keep the template and the box- as it is great to learn foreing words, chemistry symbols, etc, etc.

Our DGS could say his times tables with no problem, but he also enjoys being asked random questions from them. He is probably not typical, so I can't really help. I remember being asked random sums at the table when I was little ( also collective nouns, spellings, etc). Our family all love games and quizzes.

If your DGS does not have that sort of mentality, you could include little sums in every day conversation, asking him to work out, e.g. "I'm going to need 4 eggs a day for breakfast every day next week - how many eggs is that?", or "This costs 12p - if I buy three, how much will that be?". It may help if he sees that it is not just abstract numbers, but something relating to real life. Especially with relation to pocket money. Working out sums with money is a good exercise- I remember being good at sums (all that training over the bangers and mash) but my mind went blank if a currency was involved. I noticed this in my oldest when he was at primary school- he is now an engineer and a maths whizz, though.

(As Bluebelle has said, these days they just seem to recite a string of numbers. My DGS does this, too, at his German primary school. If they just say 14,21,28,35,42 how are they going to know that 6 X 7 is 42? All that tells them is that 42 is divisible by 7)

Sorry, I've just noticed that this thread is ANCIENT!!!!