Numeracy: Second Level

Activities to help at home

Second level is usually completed between P5 and P7 but this may
be earlier or later for some pupils. As in all curricular areas, pupils
will be supported or challenged as appropriate.

There are many strategies that can be used to help develop maths skills. Here are
some ways you can help at home.

Place Value/Number Structures

Split a number into its place value parts 7589 = 7000 + 500 + 80 + 9
Sequence and order numbers in the range 1 to 100,000 initially, moving up to 1,000,000
Order numbers with a decimal part (e.g. 2.4, 2.71, 2.9)
Order numbers including simple fractions (using pictorial representations to help if necessary)
Estimate where a number goes on an empty number line with simple fractions (e.g. estimate
where 1/3 goes on an empty number line starting at 0 and ending at 1)

Addition and Subtraction

Practise quick ways to add and subtract for example: 43+19 = 43 +20-1
Add and subtract 2, 3 and 4 digit numbers including decimal places using a variety of mental/
written strategies (see overleaf for examples of strategies)
Identify the number partner to go with a decimal hundredth to make one (e.g. What goes
with 0.37 to make 1?)
Add and subtract decimal numbers using a variety of (written) strategies

Multiplication and Division

Practise recall of multiplication tables. Know and use the all the times table facts to solve
problems
Mentally multiply and divide 2, 3 and 4 digit numbers, including decimals, by 10, 100 and
1000 eg. 2531 x 100 or 12.71 x 100
Find fractions and percentages of a quantity eg 10 % of 100
Simplify fractions and find equivalent fractions eg = 4/8
 Out and About

Involve your child when baking and cooking. Encourage them to follow the recipe
independently.
Any kind of building or decorating work can encourage great discussion. Ask your child
to calculate areas, to look at scaled drawings or to solve word equations, for example,
the room is 7m long, each tile is 30cms wide, how many tiles do we need to buy?
Encourage your child to handle money when shopping. Give your child a set budget
that they need to stick to when shopping or allow them to investigate which offers are
cost effective. You could use an online website as well as carrying this out at shops or
restaurants.
When out and about encourage your child to use mental calculations. For example, if
a jumper has 50% off, how expensive is it now?
Ask your child to identify which bus or train you need to get using timetables. For
example, we need to be in Stirling at 10am, which bus gets us in on time? Discuss
durations with your child this car journey takes 2 and a half hours, what time will we
arrive? Encourage your child to convert between 12 and 24 hour time.
Look at graphs and charts in the news and online and discuss the results.

Useful Websites
http://www.sumdog.com/
http://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/7-11-years/mental-maths
http://www.mathplayground.com/
http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/math-trainer-multiply.html
http://www.brainormous.com/online/loader_multiflyer.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/firstlevel/mathematics/
http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/

Please remember there are a

variety of methods to solve a
calculation and your child should be
encouraged to explore these. There
is very rarely one way to solve a
calculation! These are some of the
strategies we use in school.