fbpx

Why is long division so hard?

Why is long division so hard?  There is something about division in general which just intimidates a lot of kids (and adults!). Then you throw in the “formal written method” of long division and it‘s enough to put the strongest of mathematicians to the test. The method is lengthy and requires a fair amount of prep and this tends to cause a lot of children to give up before they have even begun. It is also slightly different to the methods most adults were taught and so helping with homework can sometimes just reinforce the belief that it is a…

Year 6 2022 tips

Back to school tips for Year 6 2021

Is your child starting Year 6 this September? Read on for some tips to help ease the transition after a whirlwind 2 years of lockdowns, bubbles and home learning. Settling back into school after the six week holidays is never an easy adjustment, let alone after the chaos and unpredictability of partial school closures and bubbles being sent home. The Year 6's this year have experienced a particularly unusual time, having missed out on a large chunk of school time in Year 4 and then entering a completely unfamiliar learning environment in Year 5 with rows, no joint assemblies, bubbles and…

Five Top Tips to support Year 6 Maths

Do you want to help support your child with their Year 6 maths this year but you don't know where to start? Are you worried about interfering with the methods used at school? I'm going to give you my five top tips for how you can help support your child at home with Year 6 maths and be successful in the SATs. 1: Master the times tables. This is the building block for so many other skills, especially fractions and harder calculations. It's often the skill that is overlooked as all the times tables are expected to have been learned and secure…

How to catch up on missed maths during Year 5

Families of Year 5 children deserve a medal If you were a parent of a Year Five child during school closures, I take my hat off to both you and your child. So many children across the country missed out on as much as 6 months of school during lockdown. Whatever your circumstance was at home and however much effort you put in to balancing family and work responsibilities with the needs of home schooling your children, it is inevitable that your child has probably missed out on some maths that they need to know before they transitioned to Year…

How to tutor Year 6 maths SATs

How to tutor Year 6 maths SATs Are you about to tutor Year 6 maths SATs? Maths tuition in Year 6 is in big demand and if you are new to being a tutor for the Year 6 Maths SATs you will need to be prepared. Supplement your income Tutoring is a fantastic way to supplement your income and a great way to witness a real impact on a child’s progress. Private tuition is becoming an increasingly popular choice for families as they recognise the importance of supplementing their children's learning in the class. For tutors, it is a fantastic…

Do you teach Year 6 maths?

Do you teach Year 6 maths? The struggle is real If you teach Year 6 maths, and are preparing for SATs 2023, the pressure is intense. Nobody really understands it unless they've experienced it! The responsibility and accountability of getting 30 pupils with varied abilities and learning styles to reach their progress targets and age related expectations while ensuring breadth of curriculum, mental wellbeing and a love of school is huge. More recently with the added complication of children who have experienced 2 school years affected by the Covid 19 pandemic and the fact that SATS only came back last year,…

What is the Arithmetic Paper in Year 6 SATs?

What is the Arithmetic paper in Year 6 SATs? The Arithmetic paper in the Year 6 SATs, is one of three separate papers that make up the Year 6 Maths SATs. Paper 1 is an Arithmetic paper whilst Paper 2 & 3 are Reasoning papers.  The arithmetic paper mainly tests skills in calculations, fractions, decimals & percentages. The image below shows the share of marks coming from different maths areas in the last SATs Paper 1.     When is the Key Stage 2 SATs Maths Arithmetic paper? This school year (2024-2025) the arithmetic paper will take place mid Wednesday May 14th 2025…

How do I stop Year 6 SATs revision being a battle?

Is SATs revision a battle? Maths is the marmite of education But whether you love it or hate it, helping our children with their maths homework is never as easy as we'd like. Homework can be a battle. Perhaps you don't want to confuse your child with the methods you used yourself at school or don't quite have an understanding of the latest methods being used in their school. Maybe you struggle to find the time to support your child if homework is set on inconsistent days. Perhaps your patience is simply being tested and you don’t want the time…

What are the reasoning papers in the Year 6 SATs?

What are the "reasoning papers" in the Year 6 SATs? The Year 6 maths SATs tests consist of 3 papers: 1 arithmetic and 2 reasoning papers. It is often the reasoning paper where children can get tripped up and many score significantly higher on their arithmetic papers. It is so common to hear that children are doing well in class but it isn’t reflecting in the scores they achieve on the reasoning papers. The reasoning paper is designed to assess a child’s ability in fluency, reasoning and problem-solving. This means that they are able to independently select and apply mathematical…

Recent Posts

Major Myths about Maths Tuition
ALGEBRA EASY TO LEARN
How to make algebra easy to learn
What is Ratio? Year 6 Maths
8 ways we use maths in real life
Christmas is full of maths