Help to improve DS's mental maths?!
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 10:28 am
DS is in Y5 and has always been good at maths; I'd say (as a teacher myself-just not a maths one!) that he's a 4a/5c now. They've been set for maths and whilst he's in the top table of the top set, there are a wedge of boys who always get 20/20 in their weekly mental maths tests, whereas DS tends to get 17/18. The rational calm part of me says that this is a brilliant score and he's doing well. The irrational part of me says that it's the boys who are getting 20 consistently will be the ones who end up at grammar school! I know, I KNOW I sounds ridiculous, and if a parents came to see me about their child who was in their class I would reassure them how well they are doing, but I want him to be better
I've been doing some Y6 mental maths test with him at home and again he gets 17/18 out of 20-just gets let hown on silly things-mainly because he frantically tries to do things in a slightly haphazard way in his head, rather than spending time calmly trying to do a quick logical calculation.
Am I being ridiculous (obviously I haven't said *any* of this to him-he has just told me what other people have got in passing)? Yes, I know I am really! Is there anything I can do to help him?! His times tables are secure, it's just the using and
applying bit. Just more practice!?
I've been doing some Y6 mental maths test with him at home and again he gets 17/18 out of 20-just gets let hown on silly things-mainly because he frantically tries to do things in a slightly haphazard way in his head, rather than spending time calmly trying to do a quick logical calculation.
Am I being ridiculous (obviously I haven't said *any* of this to him-he has just told me what other people have got in passing)? Yes, I know I am really! Is there anything I can do to help him?! His times tables are secure, it's just the using and
applying bit. Just more practice!?