A guide to the new Maths National Curriculum For Parents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Publication by 10ticks
Contents
..................
Introduction Chapter 1 - What are the major changes to the Curriculum? Chapter 2 - How will these changes affect your child? Chapter 3 - How can you support through this transition period? Chapter 4 - What do teachers think of the new Curriculum? Conclusion What is 10ticks doing and how we can help your child excel in maths?
Introduction:
In this report I am hoping to give you a clear understanding of the new National Curriculum that is set to come in next September. As with anything the key is to be prepared for the changes, otherwise your children’s results could suffer, as they have to try to adapt to a new more rigorous Curriculum. I will outline the main changes to the Curriculum and how you can prepare for these changes. There are lots of useful hints and tips on how to help your child become more confident in maths, which will help them through the transition period. At 10ticks we have been mapping Curriculums all over the world for the last 10 years, and have gained a lot of insight into how changes can affect students. Our aim is to pass on this knowledge to you, so your child can benefit from our experience.
“After having a look at the new National Curriculum it is clear there are going to be a lot of changes in a short amount of time!� Ian Fisher
Chapter 1: What are the major changes to the Curriculum set to come in in 2014?
After having a look at the new National Curriculum it is clear there are going to be a lot of changes in a short amount of time! For primary schools, Years 1, 3, 4 and 5 are all going to have to be taught the new Curriculum from September 2014. This will cause particular issues for years 4/5 who will not have the benefit of being taught the skills directly before them, but jumping blind into a new rigorous set of skills.
Primary: • Five-year-olds to be taught fractions for the first time, for a solid grounding at an early age in preparation for algebra and more complex arithmetic. • The new Curriculum states that nine-year-olds must be taught times tables to 12 with more emphasis on the skills of mathematical modelling and problem solving. • There is much more emphasis on greater rigour, and promoting efficient written methods of long multiplication and division. • As widely reported, the removal of calculator and other ICT devices is encouraged as strong written and mental strategies should be developed. • By age seven, pupils should know “number bonds” up to 20. These are simple addition and subtraction facts that pupils should be able to recognise and use instantly (e.g. 9+9=18 or 16-7=9)
Secondary: • GCSEs will be removed and replaced with a number rating system from 1 to 9. • The entire Curriculum will be much more rigorous as with the Primary Curriculum and students will be expected to learn much harder levels of maths. • It is hoped that by GCSE students will understand complicated algebra and geometry problems and will hopefully be more encouraged to pursue maths into further education.
Chapter 2: How will these changes affect your child?
“The biggest effect is going to be on children in 4/5 and 8/9, as they will be jumping into the brand new Curriculum without having the benefit of being taught the new skills.�
The biggest effect is going to be on children in 4/5 and 8/9, as they will be jumping into the brand new Curriculum without having the benefit of being taught the new skills. This means they will have to catch up quickly if they want to do well in exams. Students will also need to become more fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including thorough, varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that students develop conceptual understanding and ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately. With the current Curriculum students are taught a number of ways to solve a maths problem, and they can then choose which method suits them best. This gives students a good understanding of numbers and how they work. The new Curriculum will change this and make it so students are taught by more traditional methods that are similar to the way students are taught in many Asian countries. This means there will be fewer methods taught but students will be expected to do harder maths at a younger age. This method of teaching maths has its advantages and disadvantages. Asian counties are often ranked among the best in the world when it comes to maths, so emulating them will help the UK compete in the global league tables. There are however disadvantages as well, students will now be taught fewer methods for solving equations and will have to learn certain methods even if it doesn’t suit them. This will cause issues when it comes to more advanced maths, where students need a broader understanding of numbers which they get from understanding multiple ways of solving equations rather than just memorising one way.
“By getting started now your children can have a running start at the new Curriculum, making it easier for them to keep up and excel in maths.�
Chapter 3: How can you support your child through this transition period?
There are some simple ways in which you can support your child through this transition period. The key one is to prepare early! By getting started now your children can have a running start at the new Curriculum making it easier for them to stay ahead and excel in maths. Below I have outlined some simple methods that can be done easily and incorporated into everyday life.
1. Start practicing times tables with children from the age of 5 to 11. This is one of the core aspects of maths and the new Curriculum, the more comfortable your children are with their times tables the easier they will find maths in general and they will cope much better with the Curriculum change 2. Be positive – it is really important that you as a parent create a positive attitude around maths. Even if you hate maths yourself, you don’t want this to come across to your child because this will instantly give them an excuse to avoid doing it. If on the other hand you create a positive attitude towards maths it will make it seem like less of a chore and instead something that can be enjoyed.
3. Use maths in your everyday activities. There are lots of ways to use maths in everyday activities. One really good example is cooking. This uses lots of maths such as measurements, ratios and timings and is lots of fun to do as well. Even everyday things like shopping can be used to improve maths skills. As you go round the shop you can get your child to keep a running total of how much everything costs as you put it in the trolley, great for addition. 4. Play games that involve maths such as Monopoly, chess, dominoes, Yahtzee and backgammon. Playing games like this makes your child use maths without really realising it but helps to consolidate those basic maths skills. 5. Keep on top of homework. It is easy to get back from school and forget about homework until the last minute. It is important to have a break after school to reenergise but make sure you don’t leave it until just before bed!
These methods of incorporating maths are simple to do and you may already be doing them but they can make a big difference to your child’s maths, especially from a younger age. They are great for consolidating basic maths skills and will give your child a better understanding of maths.
Chapter 4: What do teachers think of the new Curriculum?
“85% of teachers said they were concerned with the new Curriculum with the biggest worries being not enough resources, not enough teacher training and students getting lower grades.�
Teachers are definately worried about the new Curriculum, with such a big change in such a short time frame there is a lot to do. 85% of teachers said they were concerned with the new Curriculum with the biggest worries being not enough resources, not enough teacher training and students getting lower grades. These concerns are very valid points, this Curriculum is being implemented faster than any other Curriculum in the past. This means teachers have very little to time prepare students for the changes and will immediately be thrown in the deep end.
Results from a survey of 53 Secondary school maths teachers
Conclusion:
Hopefully over the course of this report you will have gained a better understanding of the new Curriculum and what it means for your child. This just gives a brief overview and outlines the most fundamental changes. The best way to find out what will help your child cope, is to speak to their teacher and find out from them how your child is doing and what areas they may need a bit of extra help with. Remember to include maths in your child’s everyday routine and to create a positive experience around maths, even if it isn’t your favourite topic. This will stand your child in good stead when the new National Curriculum comes in next September.
What is 10ticks doing and how can we help your child excel in maths? Over the course of the last 3 months and in the coming months we have been creating and mapping our resources for the new Curriculum. There will be 100s of new worksheets and our Online Learning System will be mapped completely to the new Curriculum. It will contain more interactive games and tests, as well as new worksheets and video guides and will cover every topic in the new Curriculum. The Home Learning System already contains a huge amount of resources in one easy to use and interactive System. There are 1000s of printable worksheets, 100s of engaging video guides and lots of fun and interactive games and tests. If you are interested in a free trial, contact one of the 10ticks team and we will be happy to set one up for you. We look forward to hearing from you. The 10ticks Team
Contact us: The 10ticks team Email: info@10ticks.co.uk phone: 01204405341 Or contact me directly Email: r.davies@10ticks.co.uk Phone: 01204557596 Ryan Davies If you found this White Paper report useful please share it with your friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and what ever other social networks you choose and we will be very grateful :) Add us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates on the National Curriculum, just search for 10ticks.