Multiply fractions using cross reduction. Related to a money question. … [Read more...]
How to multiply two numbers by one number
Short multiplication methods for Key Stage 2 … [Read more...]
Rip up those textbooks for maths confidence!
There is a scene in the Robin Williams film "Dead Poets Society" when he encourages the students to rip out the introductory pages of a poetry book. The general point is that they should be thinking for themselves and not using a graph to rate the poems effectiveness. I'm definitely not of the opinion that we should all be ripping pages out of books but I do feel that … [Read more...]
How to get 100% in maths – next time
It seems to be that every parent and teacher wants their child to get 100%. I understand this - it's very important to aim to get every question correct. There are two concerns: it's demotivating when the child doesn't get full marks and there is little opportunity to try again. It's a little old fashioned to talk about practice making perfect but, at least in maths, there are … [Read more...]
Arnie Schwarzenegger terminates textbooks
I'm sure thousands of school children celebrated Arnie Schwarzenegger's decision not to purchase any more textbooks. Unfortunately there is too little money available and, as Governor of California, Mr Schwarzenegger has frozen any further spending. Certainly it seems an awful shame but it could have a real benefit. The reality is that the internet contains much more … [Read more...]