
Let's Measure
Explore fun and engaging ways to teach measurement concepts to KS1 students.
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Covers: | Activity | Resources | Relation to National Curriculum | Downloads |
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Activity 1Doubles and Halves |
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Activity 1Doubles and Halves |
The lesson plan emphasizes the importance of hands-on activities in teaching children the concepts of doubles and halves through practical engagement with objects. It presents a structured approach for parents to facilitate learning by using tangible items to illustrate mathematical principles. This educational content outlines a hands-on approach for teaching children the concepts of doubles and halves using concrete objects like cubes. It suggests an activity where children build towers of cubes to visualize doubling numbers, such as creating two towers of 5 cubes to demonstrate that double 5 equals 10. For halving, the content recommends using an even number of blocks, like 8, and dividing them into two equal groups to show that half of 8 is 4. The activity sheet provided includes questions for children to answer, reinforcing their understanding of these concepts. Parents are encouraged to discuss the meanings of double and half with their children and to repeat the activities with different objects to maintain interest. The content highlights the importance of visual and tactile learning in early mathematics education. |
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Activity 2Introducing An Array |
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Activity 2Introducing An Array |
The lesson plan emphasizes the importance of using arrays as a visual and practical method for teaching children multiplication and division through hands-on activities. By arranging objects into rows and columns, children can better understand the concepts of repeated addition and efficient counting. This content introduces an educational activity designed to help children grasp the concepts of multiplication and division using arrays. It suggests using concrete objects like cubes, toy cars, buttons, or shells to create visual representations of multiplication. The activity begins with a discussion on counting methods, encouraging children to arrange a group of 15 objects into arrays for easier counting. The content explains that an array can illustrate multiplication as repeated addition, such as 3 x 2 being represented as 2 + 2 + 2. It provides step-by-step instructions for engaging children in creating different arrays, emphasizing the importance of using multiples of 2, 5, or 10. The Array Activity Sheet is mentioned as a resource for identifying groups and drawing arrays. The conclusion encourages ongoing engagement by using various objects to maintain interest. |
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Activity 3Sharing Beanbags |
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Activity 3Sharing Beanbags |
The lesson plan provides a hands-on approach to teaching children the concepts of multiplication and division through sharing activities with beanbags. By using concrete objects and visual aids, the author emphasizes the importance of interactive learning in early mathematics education. The lesson plan outlines an educational activity designed to teach children multiplication and division through sharing beanbags. It suggests using various objects to engage children, such as marbles, toy cars, and cubes, to facilitate understanding of these mathematical concepts. The activity involves placing hoops on the ground and inviting children to add beanbags to each hoop, allowing them to count in different ways, such as counting in ones or skip counting. For division, children are encouraged to share an even number of beanbags equally between hoops. The content also includes a Sharing Beanbags Activity Sheet to help children visualize the distribution of beanbags. It emphasizes the importance of discussing the concepts of equality and addition with children during the activity. The author encourages repetition of the activity with varying quantities to build confidence and understanding in mathematical operations. |
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Activity 4Skip Counting With Objects |
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Activity 4Skip Counting with Objects |
The lesson plan emphasizes the importance of hands-on activities in teaching children skip counting using concrete objects. It presents a structured approach to engage children in learning through practical exercises and visual aids. This content provides a comprehensive guide for parents and educators on teaching skip counting to children using hands-on methods. It outlines the necessary materials, such as Unifix cubes and skip counting number cards, to facilitate the learning process. The activity encourages children to group objects, starting with tens, to develop their counting skills efficiently. It suggests beginning with counting in tens before progressing to fives and twos, making the learning curve manageable. The content includes specific steps for conducting the activity, such as discussing counting methods, grouping cubes, and using number cards to reinforce learning. Additionally, it highlights the importance of recognizing patterns in numbers when skip counting, which can enhance mathematical understanding. The activity sheet provided allows children to practice writing numbers and reinforces their learning through colouring and filling in missing numbers in sequences. |
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Activity 5Counting Handprints |
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Activity 5Counting Handprints |
This activity creatively engages children in learning skip counting by using their handprints, making the process both fun and educational. The hands-on approach not only reinforces numerical concepts but also encourages children to explore patterns in numbers. The Counting Handprints activity is designed to help children practice skip counting in 5s and 10s using their handprints. To begin, children count the digits on one hand (5) and two hands (10), establishing a foundational understanding of numbers. The activity requires materials such as a roll of paper, paint, and a paintbrush. Children will create handprints by applying paint to their hands and pressing them onto the paper, which can be a messy but enjoyable process. After making the handprints, they will use skip counting to record the number of fingers represented in each print. The Counting Hands Activity Sheet is provided to facilitate this practice. The activity encourages children to notice patterns in numbers, such as how counting in 10s results in all numbers ending in 0, while counting in 5s results in numbers ending in 0 and 5. This hands-on approach not only reinforces counting skills but also fosters a deeper understanding of numerical relationships. |
National Curriculum of England
National Curriculum of England
National Curriculum of England
National Curriculum of England
National Curriculum of England
These hands-on activities can significantly enhance your Year 1 students' understanding of multiplication and division by making abstract concepts concrete and engaging. By using physical objects like cubes, beanbags, and arrays, children can visualize and manipulate groups, helping them grasp the fundamental idea that multiplication is repeated addition and division is sharing or grouping. Activities such as building array towers, sharing objects equally, and skip counting with manipulatives allow students to explore mathematical relationships in a tactile way, reinforcing their understanding through active learning. This approach not only makes math more enjoyable but also helps develop problem-solving skills and number sense, laying a strong foundation for more complex mathematical concepts in the future. Moreover, these hands-on methods cater to different learning styles, boost retention, and encourage students to think critically about mathematical operations in real-world contexts.
In Year 1, students in England begin their exploration of multiplication and division as part of the National Curriculum. This foundational stage is crucial for developing their mathematical skills, focusing on understanding basic concepts through practical and engaging methods.
The Year 1 mathematics curriculum is structured to ensure that students develop confidence and fluency in basic operations. By the end of the year, they should be able to:
In summary, Year 1 students in England are introduced to multiplication and division through engaging, practical methods that emphasize understanding through visual and tactile experiences. This foundational knowledge is essential for their future mathematical learning.
In Year 1, the focus should be on developing an intuitive understanding of multiplication through hands-on activities and problem solving. One effective strategy is to use concrete objects and visuals to represent multiplication as grouping or repeated addition. Creating arrays can also help students visualize multiplication facts. Drawing pictures to model word problems involving multiplication is another useful technique. Teachers should start with the easiest tables, such as the 2, 5, and 10 times tables, and emphasize the "square numbers" like 3x3 as special memory hooks.
Chanting and writing out the tables slowly in order can build familiarity, and relating the numbers to real-life contexts creates more memory hooks. Discussing the commutative property of multiplication and connecting related multiplication and division facts can help develop reasoning skills. Solving simple word problems involving multiplication in contexts reinforces the concepts. Making the learning process fun through songs, games, and educational apps engages students and provides additional support for struggling learners through one-on-one practice. With regular practice and reinforcement, Year 1 students can build a strong foundation in multiplication.
In Year 1, the National Curriculum for England introduces students to the fundamental concepts of multiplication and division. For multiplication, pupils use physical objects, pictorial representations, and arrays to solve simple one-step problems. They also explore doubling numbers and recognizing patterns in multiples of 2, 5, and 10.
Division is taught through the context of sharing and grouping. Students learn to divide small quantities into equal groups, which helps them understand division as the inverse of multiplication. They solve one-step division problems using concrete and pictorial methods, such as sharing objects equally among a set number of people.
To effectively teach division to Year 1 students, teachers can use various methods. Concrete objects and visuals, such as fair shares demonstrations, egg carton division, tiling division models, and using candy to model problems, help students grasp the concept. Strategies and games like sharing and grouping, partial quotients, and dice-rolling activities engage students and make division practice fun. Developing foundational skills in counting in multiples, multiplication fluency, and subtraction practice also supports students' understanding of division. By using these engaging, hands-on methods and building a strong foundation, Year 1 students can develop a solid grasp of division concepts.
In Year 1, the focus is on developing a basic understanding of these concepts using hands-on materials and visual representations. Students are taught to solve one-step problems involving multiplication and division, by calculating the answer using concrete objects, pictorial representations and arrays with the support of the teacher. They begin to understand multiplication and division through grouping and sharing small quantities. However, they are not expected to recall multiplication facts or use formal written methods.
By Year 2, the expectations increase significantly. Pupils should be taught to recall and use multiplication and division facts for the 2, 5 and 10 multiplication tables. They should calculate mathematical statements for multiplication and division within the multiplication tables and write them using the multiplication (×), division (÷) and equals (=) signs. Pupils also solve problems involving multiplication and division, using materials, arrays, repeated addition, mental methods, and multiplication and division facts, including problems in contexts. This represents a progression from the concrete, pictorial approach of Year 1 to more abstract and fluent use of multiplication and division facts and methods by the end of Year 2.
So in summary, while Year 1 focuses on developing a basic understanding of multiplication and division using hands-on methods, Year 2 builds on this foundation by requiring students to recall multiplication facts, write number sentences, and solve more complex problems using a variety of strategies. This lays the groundwork for further development of these key mathematical skills in subsequent years.
In Year 1, students often encounter several misconceptions regarding multiplication and division that can impede their understanding of these essential mathematical concepts. One prevalent misunderstanding is the belief that multiplication always results in a larger number. While multiplication is often taught as repeated addition, students may not grasp that multiplying by zero yields zero or that multiplying fractions can produce smaller results. This confusion can lead to difficulties when solving problems that involve these operations.
Another common misconception involves the symbols and terminology associated with multiplication and division. Young learners may struggle to differentiate between the operations, leading to errors in their calculations. For instance, they might confuse multiplication with addition or misinterpret the meaning of division as simply taking a number apart rather than understanding it as sharing or grouping. Additionally, students often find it challenging to handle remainders in division problems, which can further complicate their understanding of the operation.To effectively address these misconceptions, teachers can employ various strategies. Using concrete objects, visual aids, and real-life examples can help students develop a clearer understanding of multiplication and division. Encouraging discussions about their thought processes allows educators to identify and correct misunderstandings in real-time. By consistently using appropriate mathematical language and providing opportunities for hands-on learning, teachers can help Year 1 students build a strong foundation in multiplication and division, setting them up for success in future mathematical concepts.
Integrating real-life scenarios into teaching multiplication and division to Year 1 students can significantly enhance their understanding and engagement. One effective approach is to create shopping scenarios where students can use play money to "buy" items. For example, if an apple costs 2 coins, you can ask how much 3 apples would cost. This hands-on activity not only reinforces multiplication through repeated addition but also makes math relatable by connecting it to everyday experiences.
Another engaging method is through sharing treats. Using snacks like cookies or fruit, you can demonstrate division by asking how many treats each student would receive if you have a certain number to share among them. This practical application helps students visualize the concept of equal sharing and reinforces their understanding of division in a fun and tasty way.
Incorporating grouping activities can also be beneficial. For instance, have students collect objects, such as crayons, and group them into sets. If they have 15 crayons and need to group them into sets of 3, they can physically arrange the crayons, which aids in understanding multiplication as repeated addition. Additionally, using sports and games can make learning more dynamic; for example, if a soccer team has 4 players and each scores 2 goals, students can calculate the total goals scored, linking math to their interests.
By embedding these real-life scenarios into lessons, teachers can create a rich learning environment that not only teaches multiplication and division but also fosters a love for math through practical application and engagement.