Year 4 maths new curriculum and the 11 plus

[mystery]

I have a child in year 4 who is now on the new maths curriculum. She has not covered topics that my year 6 child had done by this stage. When I read the new national curriculum maths document I realise that this might be because they are following the year 4 curriculum and nothing from the year above.

She was 4c under the old curriculum at the end of year 3 and year 4 is feeling like a going backwards year. Should it be like this?

[Last1973]

I have a child in year 4 who is now on the new maths curriculum. She has not covered topics that my year 6 child had done by this stage. When I read the new national curriculum maths document I realise that this might be because they are following the year 4 curriculum and nothing from the year above.

She was 4c under the old curriculum at the end of year 3 and year 4 is feeling like a going backwards year. Should it be like this?

I'm in similar situation with my dd in year 5. She is one of the brightest in her class but instead of her getting harder work she now has to help the other children in her class once she finishes her work. I've heard they will no longer work to level 6 but try and get the whole class up to level 5.
I'm so unhappy with the whole schooling issue at the moment

[mystery]

That is frustrating. No helping has been involved for my children but our personal experience of maths at school in upper ks2 is similar - it seems to be more about forgetting things than consolidation, mastery and moving forwards. But maths done at home works wonders.

I have kind of resigned myself to this situation but the thing I am wondering about with the new curriculum is if the mismatch between the material a child might have been taught by the end of year 5 and the content of a gl maths selection test at the start of year 6 is bigger than ever, or if the year 5 content fills many of the gaps but a bit too last minute for a smooth performance on the day.

[salsa]

We have noticed this too with my year 4 son. I asked the teacher as my son "didn't like Maths anymore", he told me that they had to do a lot of revision in the first term as they are back to the old way of multiplying and dividing. Chunking is out and this has caused great adjustment, at least for my boy, who seemed to go backwards! I have asked to please have levels and his teacher has kindly produced something. He has shown progress, but not the type of progress my son was making in previous years. I'm a bit worried.

[Guest55]

they are back to the old way of multiplying and dividing

Why? Should not be in Year 4 ... it comes in later but it is not statutory for children to use it - just for it to be taught!

[salsa]

That's what they told us. Although it's easier for us to teach him the old fashioned way, he's all in a pickle and hating it

[Guest55]

I'm not surprised as the new methods need to be understood first - there was no understanding in the traditional method which is why it was discontinued.

I don't agree with bringing back methods that don't encourage understanding.

[moved]

The idea behind the curriculum is that all children should have equal opportunity, i.e. the whole class learning the same topic, but not at the same 'level'. The least able should have concrete support and the most able should be reasoning in an abstract way. This doesn't mean working with bigger/smaller numbers but support and thinking.

Regarding columns, if taught well, the grid can be taught and children can see a natural progression to a vertical method. Multiplication and division arrays lead to a grid method. The NCETM has some lovely graphics showing this.

[Guest55]

children can see a natural progression to a vertical method

We'd have to diasgree on this. I see no need for vertical methods - they aren't quicker and are far more prone to errors.

GCSE markers over the years have seen a huge improvement in the accuracy of calculation by newer methods - we are throwing ALL of this away.

[moved]

children can see a natural progression to a vertical method

We'd have to diasgree on this. I see no need for vertical methods - they aren't quicker and are far more prone to errors.

GCSE markers over the years have seen a huge improvement in the accuracy of calculation by newer methods - we are throwing ALL of this away.

I'm not an advocate: I wrote a paper on why we should keep the grid, but linking the two methods and showing children clearly where the numbers come from enables them to better understand the vertical method.