This is part two (Year 1 / KS1) of a seven part series detailing the maths curriculum for each year group in primary school. We were receiving numerous questions from parents wondering what their child should know based on their age / year group. So, we decided to start a blog series to cover what is going on in reception – year 6. You can find part one / reception here! We also provide you with some useful activities you can be doing at home with your child. We hope it helps!
As always, it’s important to note that teachers are happy to help parents who want to be involved in their child’s education. Your first point of contact if you have any questions, worries or concerns should be your child’s teacher. They will have a huge amount of resources that they will be more than happy to share with you! One of the most important maths resources you should ask for is the ‘Calculation Policy’ of the school. This will outline and give you a better understanding of the calculation strategies taught in each year group.
Year 1 / KS1 Maths Curriculum Goals
Your child will be taught maths in a very practical way during Year 1 / KS1. They will be using all the different senses to enrich their learning experience. They will work individually and in groups. A majority of their learning will be done through counting, playing number games and using everyday objects to help them solve calculations. As they start to become more confident with the math’s terminology, they will be encouraged by their teacher to vocalise their problem solving methods to the class. Your child will be dealing with:
Geometry
- Recognising, naming and describing common 2D / 3D shapes
- Making shapes using patterns, models and pictures
- Describing whole, half, quarter and three-quarter when describing movements / amounts
Measuring
- Practicing telling the time to the nearest hour and half hour
- Putting the days of the week and months of the year in order
- Measuring length, weight and capacity and comparing these measurements
Number and place value
- Counting, reading and writing numbers up to 100 forwards and backwards
- Reading, counting and writing numbers up to 20 in words
- Counting up and down in twos, fives and tens
- Recognising patterns in numbers by using a number line to put numbers in the correct order
- Recognising odd and even numbers up to 100
Calculating
- Learning basic addition, doubling, halving and subtraction
- Growing accustomed to mathematical terminology and symbols
- Using and becoming more familiar with money – paying and giving change
- Learning which pairs of numbers add up to 20 (number bonds)
- Finding a quarter of a quantity
- Working out multiplication and division questions using objects to group or share e.g. quarter of a quantity
Home activities:
The maths your child will be doing at school can easily be practised at home – you don’t need to be an expert – and it will really help them to learn. As well as doing maths informally at home, you may also have maths homework, which will probably be a simple worksheet, reinforcing the work they have been doing in class that week.
Practice: learning number bond (addition and subtraction facts) at home with your child. Help your child to see how adding and subtracting are linked. Use pictures and objects to build a solid understanding before introducing the number representations – 3+4=7 4+3=7 7-3=4 7-4=3
Time: When discussing time with your child, read time in hours and half hours. Draw your child’s attention to times. We have swimming at 5.30pm, What time will we need to leave the house at? etc.
Get cooking: children love to weigh out the ingredients and check the timer! Encourage your child to work out approximately how many kilograms a bag of rice weighs or how many litres in a bottle. Then check by weighing or measuring. Talk about the markings on the weighing scales or the measuring jug. Ask your child to set the table: they’ll have to count the settings and work out how much cutlery is needed.
Play games: a simple board game such as snakes and ladders gives your child valuable practice in counting on. Try and have fun with numbers when out and about. You and your child can have fun with numbers on car registrations plates, signs or TV. When walking through a car park ask your child: What numbers can you see on the cars’ plates? Can you find a plate where two of the numbers add up to 10?
Shopping: Practice using coins and encourage your child to be involved in the weekly shop. Ask your child to put items less than 50 pence in order from the cheapest to the dearest.
Resources:
This is a really useful blog with numerous games for Year 1 / KS1 maths.
Some really fun and interactive games for year 1 kids and best of all they are free!
The schoolrun.com is a great source for other information.
If you are a parent and need some advice or you are worried about your child’s current progress, feel free to reach out to us at Primary Tutor Project! We will be adding to this series each week! If there is any topic in particular you require advice for contact us here.
