Year 1 Maths articles

Children often learn faster if they are allowed to use practical equipment to support them. Primary teacher Angela Smith explains what maths aids your child might find in the classroom, and how you can also use them at home to help your child practise important numeracy skills with hands-on, practical activities.

Lillian Blundell, from Bath, describes her experience of the SEN and school system with her son Robbie, 16, who has dyscalculia, and shares her tips for other parents.

Fancy a quick game of cards? Studies show cognitive benefits to play and card games teach children new strategies for using mathematical information, categorising patterns, sequencing and sorting. Last but not least, this is numeracy practice the whole family will enjoy (though things might get a bit competitive... beware!). Kate Yelland asked maths teachers and experts why sitting down with a pack of cards and a primary-school child is definitely playing your cards right.

We explain what a word problem is and give examples of the types of word problems your child might be challenged with in each primary-school maths year group, from Year 1 to Year 6.

We explain what improper fractions and mixed numbers are and how the relationship between them can be taught to primary-school children.

We explain what equivalent fractions are, how the concept of equivalence is introduced in primary school maths and how knowledge of equivalent fractions is then used to simplify fractions.

We explain what standard and non-standard units are and how non-standard units can help children understand the concept of weight before they master the skill of accurate measurement and converting units of measurement

We explain what tessellating shapes are and why tessellation may be taught in primary school as part of learning about 2D shapes.

We explain what a Carroll diagram is and how primary-school children are taught to use a Carroll diagram to sort data, such as a group of objects or numbers, methodically.

We explain what a bar chart is and how children are taught to interpret a bar chart, produce their own bar charts on grid paper and on a computer, and produce bar charts with grouped discrete data.

We explain what the bus stop method for division or short division is and why this is a quick and efficient method for working out division with larger numbers.

These games and toys consolidate early reading skills, help with simple maths calculations, boost strategic thinking and even introduce your KS1 child to engineering and geology! For literacy and numeracy fun in toy form, these are the games to try.

We explain what the four operations are and how children learn about addition, subtraction, multiplication and division over KS1 and KS2, working towards solving problems involving all four operations.

We explain what the properties of 2D and 3D shapes are, what faces, edges and vertices are and how children will describe 2D and 3D shapes in KS1 and KS2.

We explain what expanded notation means, how it is taught in primary school and how it can help children with addition and multiplication calculations.

We explain what analogue and digital are and how and when children are taught to read clock faces and convert between analogue and digital times in primary school.

We explain how primary-school children are taught to use the 12-hour and 24-hour clock to tell the time on analogue and digital clocks, and how you can support their learning at home.

We explain what arrays are and give examples of how they can help children with their times tables learning and to explain the relationship between multiplication and division.

We explain what clockwise and anti-clockwise means and give examples of typical exercises your primary-school child might be presented with to test their understanding of rotation.