What tips do you have for promoting basic maths skills in primary school?

HI Ellie, Doing tutoring at KS3 and GCSE, the absolutely vital skill is the times tables. Almost anything else can be learned later but without TT you can't factorise, do ratio and proportion, percentage increase or vectors. So I would prioritise times tables above everything at primary school. One senior educationalist, John Bald says that the worst thing is just to chant the products (7,14, 21, 28...). It is VITAL to learn them with their factors (1x7 is 7, 2x7 is 14 etc) from as early an age as possible. Pen and paper is fine but there are some good fun platforms such as Sparx which "gamify" the TTs, so they are worth a look. Hope this helps, Colin

Teaching maths in more a interesting way by adding live examples and making the lesson interesting.

Mathematics is a complex process hence the best approach i would use is simplification and relating concepts with live activities to make it fun and the same time m understandable by the students

Overcoming your fears in Mathematics can be likened to a young girl who is afraid of dogs, until she comes to face the dog touch his head, his hair the fear would remain Most time when we teach students maths at school we often forget or neglect that not everyone would understand it the first time, so what do we do? we keep explaining and exploring different ways until it becomes simple as ABC to the students. Most time teachers, students are not patience enough. We see people emerge as champions in different sports not because they tried it once and they became better they keep evolving and learning. Lastly, the mindset of the students matters he must be able to believe that he can overcome his/her fears and that is joint efforts between the teacher, students and his parents.

Hi Ellie, Promoting basic math skills in primary school can be super fun and engaging! Here are a few tips: 1. Relate Math to Real-Life Situations Shopping Games: Practice addition and subtraction by “buying” and “selling” items with fake money. 2. Make Math Fun Outdoor Math Walks: Count steps, spot shapes, or solve math riddles while walking to school. 3. Use Memorization Tricks Chant Tables While Walking: Recite multiplication tables rhythmically on the way to school. 4. Hands-On Activities Building with Blocks: Teach geometry and counting using LEGO or blocks. The key is to weave math into their daily routines, keeping it fun and relatable! Kids will absorb more without even realizing they’re “studying.” 😊

Hi Ellie, as someone who hopes to teach in primary schools in the future I know that times tables are a vital area. The issue is that many children just aren’t interested! The best way is to try and gamify it and potentially have a reward or incentive if students can be successful. You could also try and create acronyms or methods of remembering things when under pressure (similar to BIDMAS.)

Making maths engaging and applying it to real life situations. Children need to develop a strong understanding of place value and learn to recall times tables. These are the foundations of most other maths concepts. Maths shouldn't only be taught in the class room in needs to be embedded throughout daily life. Using mathematical language and skills to complete daily tasks. Whether that's counting how many knives and forks are needed, weighing ingredients, recognising numbers and adding amounts while shopping or even describing the size of something we use maths skills all the time!

Make maths fun for children so that they don’t get bored and forget about what they have just learnt

Relate mathes problems with daily life.. Appreciate the team work Use puzzles, games to make math intersting .

Mathematics is all about practice the fear of mathematics can be overcome through daily practice if you chop numbers daily you get more acquainted with the concepts and become more vast For any student afraid of maths the number 1 tip is PRACTICE

To help children fear math less is just to make sure they understand the basics in a fun way, like using maths games.

Try and make the content as interactive as possible whilst also keeping focus on the tasks at hand, it is key that not only the student but also the tutor is fully engaged in the learning as that will reflect onto the student massively. Do not try anything too strenuous until confidence around the skill has developed.

To promote basic maths skills at primary level is an easy task,it involves practice regularly in a way that students feel it like they are playing a game which will make the task a fun for them and they will actively participate.After a regular practice they will be able to do it on fingertips.

Use physical objects like counters, blocks, or beads to teach addition, subtraction, and multiplication. This makes abstract concepts tangible. Play games like hopscotch or dice rolls to practice counting and number recognition.

Encourage students to spot numbers and patterns in their environment (e.g., road signs, clocks, or supermarket prices). Use real-world scenarios, like dividing snacks, counting change, or measuring ingredients, to teach math concepts.

Online math games and apps can make practice interactive and fun. Traditional games like Bingo, board games, or card games can teach number recognition, addition, and probability.