Mathematics in The LaunchPad, KS1 and KS2

 

Within the Primary department we are often asked by parents how and what we teach in specific areas - particularly English and Maths. We organised a learning session for parents in the first term to discuss the development of reading from 3-11. 

Helping your child at home with Maths:

One of the most frequently asked questions by parents in our flexi conferences is how can I help my child? One of our first responses is, please don't shy away from maths if you didn’t like it at school! 

Try to find new ways to enjoy the subject with your child. We encourage you to play games with children from an early age and to continue doing so as they move through the key stages. To offer guidance on this, we are going to run a workshop on helping with maths at home. This will be the second of our workshops following on from our Autumn term focus on helping with reading.

Mathematics plays a big part of our everyday life. Our objective in Primary is to provide children with opportunities to develop a mathematical foundation in a way that helps them make sense of the world around them, so they can use this knowledge everyday in a variety of situations.
 

And at school?

At school, our youngest children in The LaunchPad are encouraged to join in and for example, count blocks, food items and cars as well as explore the shapes and patterns around them.  We use story time, indoor and outdoor activities, sand and water play, play dough, messy activities and exercise, to create opportunities to help develop maths language and understanding in young children.

In KS1 and KS2, there are so many different ways we introduce maths activities into our students' learning. Promoting positive environments and providing resources to manipulate and understand mathematical concepts is essential. Rather than simply learning methods and formulae, our aim is to engage students in learning, so they become open and curious to grasp concepts and explore possibilities. In this way children are encouraged to think mathematically, be more confident and become independent learners.
             

During our next flexi-conference, we will explore games and activities to help your children truly grasp the concepts they are learning about in school. You will have the chance to look at and use the manipulatives we use in the classrooms - indoor and outdoor - that help students to  investigate, practice and master skills in maths. Places are limited but we may be able to rerun the workshop if the demand is high.