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MATHEMATICS
Mathematics plays an important role in our lives. It is used in everyday activities, such as
buying food, keeping time and playing games.
Mathematics includes areas of

number, money and measurement,

information handling,

shape, position and movement.
Children are encouraged to learn mathematics through practical experiences, using
concrete materials.
Methods of mental calculation are vital in helping children to understand number and
use it well. Regular oral and mental work develops children’s calculation strategies and
recall skills.
Computer programmes are used to reinforce work and to develop skills in
mathematics.
Your child could be working at Level C for approximately two years. During this time
your child will experience direct teaching, revisiting, practice and consolidation of
skills and concepts for this level.
Your child will only be allowed to use a calculator under the guidance of their teacher
so please do not provide them with a calculator unless this is suggested by the
teacher.
It is hoped the contents of this pack will give parents some ideas of the work
involved in Level C and some activities to try out.
Some methods may be different from your own ways of ‘doing sums’. If in doubt speak
to your child’s teacher!
Mathematics Level C
Contents
 Number, Money and Measurement









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Range and type of number
Money
Add and Subtract
Multiply and Divide
Round Numbers
Fractions
Patterns and Sequence
Functions and Equations
Measure and Estimate
Time
 Shape, Position and Movement




Range of Shape
Position and Movement
Symmetry
Angles
 Information Handling
 Collect
 Organise
 Display
 Interpret
Number Money and Measurement
Range and type of numbers
In this part of the mathematics programme, your child will be:
 Counting, reading, and putting into the correct order whole numbers from 0 to
1000.
 Cutting things into thirds, fifths, eights and tenths.
 Looking for fractions which are the same size
e.g.½= 2/4
 Writing different amounts of money using a £ sign
e.g. 2 pound and 5 pence = £2.05
Here are some activities to try:
1. Play a guessing game –“Guess my number” giving your child clues like

It’s bigger than 120

It’s smaller than 156

It’s an even number

It can be divided by ….
?
2. Ask your child to help you read the electricity meter.
3. Read the prices of items that are for sale in newspapers,
or catalogues, and ask your child to find the cheapest car,
the most expensive washing machine.
4. Look at the price of holidays advertised in brochures.
5. Share out objects among 3, 5, 8 and 10 different piles
e.g. split a pile of dried peas among 8 plates
6. Practise cutting a cake/pizza/chocolate bars into thirds (3 pieces), fifths (5 pieces)
and tenths (10 pieces)
Money
In this part of the mathematics programme, your child will be:

Working with these coins and notes
1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2, £5, £10
 Looking for different ways to make a set amount of money
e.g.
£1.20 = £1 + 20p
£1 + 10p + 10p
50p + 50p + 20p
50p + 50p + 10p + 10p
50p + 20p + 20p + 20p +10p
……and lots more ways
Here are some activities to try
1. When you are shopping ask your child to tell you the price of the items that you are
buying.
2. Let your child count real money to the value of ten pounds. This could be when
you go shopping; they could pay the cashier.
3. Ask you child to count out their own lunch money/pocket money/sweet money.
Add and Subtract
In this part of the mathematics programme, your child will be:
 Doing adding and subtracting sums in their head, without writing down any
sums. The sums will be,
 using the numbers 0 to 9 and adding them to or subtracting them
from numbers up to 1000
e.g. 264 – 8
591 + 3
 Using numbers in the 10 times table (10, 20, 30…these are called
multiples of ten) and adding them to or subtracting them from
larger multiples of ten
e.g. 240 + 30
170 – 40

Doing adding and subtracting sums in their jotter or on paper. The sums will
use the numbers 0 to 99, and adding them to or subtracting them from numbers
up to 999.
e.g.
352
+ 14
366
It is important that your child writes down all
the working. This working may be different
from the way you were taught at school. If
you are concerned ask the teacher and they
will explain the methods your child is using.
Here are some activities to try
1. Play ‘BINGO’ but instead of just calling the numbers, call them in the form of a
mental adding or subtracting sum.
2. Ask your child to calculate the change from £10 after you have been to the
shops, or have bought a meal at a fast food café.
Multiply and Divide
In this part of the mathematics programme, your child will be:

Doing multiplying and dividing sums in their head, without writing down any
numbers. The sums will be,
 using the 2 to 10 times tables
35  7 = 5
e.g. 4 x 8 = 32
 using numbers up to 999 and multiplying or dividing them by 10.
e.g. 58 x 10 = 580

760  10 = 76
Doing multiplying and dividing sums in their jotter or on paper. The sums will
use the numbers 0 to 99, and multiply or dividing them by the numbers 2 to 9.
e.g.
64
x3
192
74  2 = 37
It is important that you child writes down all
the working. This working may be different
from the way you were taught at school. If
you are concerned ask the teacher and they
will explain the methods your child is using.
Here are some activities to try
1. Play ‘BINGO’ but instead of just calling the numbers, call them in the form of a
mental adding or subtracting sum.
2. Some stores sell colouring books where all the red section are in the 2 times
tables, blue is the 3 times tables etc…
3. Ask your child to work out the cost of more than one of a given item at a shop
e.g. 3 packets of crisps, 4 cans of juice
Rounding Numbers
Your child will be asked to round numbers to the nearest 10 numbers from 0 to 999.
Remember the rule “up to five round down” and “five and above round up”
e.g 763 => 760,
189=> 190,
145 => 150
The reason that your child is rounding numbers is that it makes estimating the answer
to sums easier. Instead of working out 123 x 3, you can say it is round about
120 x 3 = 360.
Here is an activity to try:
1. Work out roughly what it costs for items when you go shopping, then compare
the answer to the real cost. Were you close?
Fractions
Your child will be working with ½ ‘s, ¼’s, 1/3’ s, 1/5’s, and 1/10’s.
They will have to find out a fraction of a number ranging from 0 to 99
e.g.
1/
3
of 60 = 20
They are sharing out 60 into three
parts.
Here are some activities to try
1. To calculate these sums your child will need to know their tables inside out.
Practice them regularly. Get your child to write them out, and chant them out
loud. Ask them questions like 2 eights, 3 nines.
2. Get your child to make posters of the times-tables and put them up in the
bedroom or on the fridge; somewhere that your child will see regularly.
Patterns and Sequences
In this part of the maths programme, your child will be:

Looking for patterns among the 2-10 times tables.
Functions and Equations
In this part of the maths programme, your child will be:
 Using simple function machines to multiply, divide, add and subtract numbers.
in
X2
out
gives for example:
3
X2
6
Here is an activity to try:
Use this table square
Colour numbers that can be divided by 2 red,
3 blue, 4 green …
Look for patterns.
X 1 2 3
1 1 2 3
2 2 4 6
3 3 6 9
4 4 8 12
5 5 10 15
6 6 12 18
7 7 14 21
8 8 16 24
9 9 18 27
10 10 20 30
4
4
8
12
16
20
24
28
32
36
40
5
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
6
6
12
18
24
30
36
42
48
54
60
7
7
14
21
28
35
42
49
56
63
70
8
8
16
24
32
40
48
56
64
72
80
9 10
9 10
18 20
27 30
36 40
45 50
54 60
63 70
72 80
81 90
90 100
Measure and Estimate
In this part of the maths programme, your child will be:
 Weighing objects in grams.

Measuring volumes of liquids using litres, ½ litres and ¼ litres.

Guessing the length and height of objects in metres and centimetres.

Finding the areas of shapes using square metres and centimetres.

Choosing the best units of measure.

Reading scales from a variety of measuring devices including a ruler, metre stick,
measuring tape, measuring jug, and a set of scales.
If you were measuring the width of someone’s waist would it be best to use a ruler,
metre stick or a measuring tape?
Here are some activities to try:
1. Weigh out ingredients when cooking in the kitchen using grams.
2. Pour out glasses of juice, milk etc using a measuring
jug to measure in litres, ½ litres and ¼ litres.
3. Guessing Game:
a. How high is the door, chair…..?
b. How long is the table, TV…….?
c. Check answers by measuring in metres and centimetres.
4. Using an atlas, measure the area of countries by counting
the grid squares.
Time
In this part of the maths programme, your child will be:
 Telling the time using am and pm.
1.35 am = twenty five to two in the morning
7.15 pm = quarter past seven at night

Reading 12 hour timetables.

Calculating periods of time using hours and minutes.

Using calendars to read and record dates in various ways.
05.03.04
5th March 2004
5/3/04
Here are some activities to try:
1. Look for the starting/finishing times of favourite programmes in the TV guide.
2. Find out how long it takes to do certain tasks, eg homework or going to the shops.
3. Ask your child to write important dates on a calendar such as birthdays, parties,
dental appointments etc.
Shape, Position & Movement
Range of shapes
In this part of the maths programme, your child should be able to:

Find and name 2D shapes within 3D shapes

Draw circles using a variety of methods

Recognise 3D shapes from 2D drawings – be able to name spheres, cubes,
pyramids etc, from a drawing
square
sphere
pyramid
Here are some activities to try
1. Look at everyday objects and find the 2-D shapes in them - – the top of a bucket is
a circle, the side of a box is a rectangle.
2. Draw circles using a pencil and string, a compass, drawing round a tube or tin.
3. Help your child practise drawing circles accurately with a compass.
4. Make circle designs using a compass.
rectangle
Position and Movement
In this part of the maths programme, your child should be able to:

Describe the main features of a familiar journey or route

Draw paths to follow instructions such as ‘Forward 5, right 90, forward 7, left 90’.
Your child should be able to do this
 Using squared paper
 Using programmable toys or computer programs
Here are some activities to try
1. Tell correctly how to get to familiar places – school, the shops, a friend’s house using street names, turn right, turn left etc
 For example – To get to school – turn left onto Broad Street, walk to
the corner of Main Street, turn right into Main Street, continue until
you see the school on your left.
2. Drawing routes, as above, on squared paper.
3. Writing instructions for routes, as above, for someone else to follow.

For example – Write commands to draw the numeral 8.
Do not use the command BK or go over the same line more
than once
4. Computer programs, such as RoamerWorld
Symmetry
In this part of the maths programme, your child should be able to

Find lines of symmetry in shapes drawn on squared grids

Complete the missing half of a simple symmetrical shape or pattern drawn
on a squared grid
lines of symmetry
Here are some activities to try
1.
2.
3.
4.
Draw symmetrical patterns on squared paper
Some stores sell puzzle books with symmetrical puzzles
Look at shapes and find lines of symmetry
Some drawing programs on computer may have symmetry options
Angles
In this part of the maths programme, your child should

Know that a right angle is 90 degrees.

Know that an acute angle is less than 90 degrees

Know that an obtuse is greater than 90 degrees but less than 180 degrees.

Know that a straight angle is 180 degrees, or two right angles.

Know the compass points NE, SE, NW and SW and be able to use them to
tell direction.
Right Angle
Acute Angle
Some activities to try
1. Practise using a compass to tell direction.
2. Draw angles and tell what kind they are.
Obtuse Angle
Information Handling
In this part of the maths programme, your child will be:
 Collecting and organising information using tally marks.
1
l
2
ll
3
lll
4
llll
5
llll
6
llll l
 Recording information on a bar graph.
 Reading results to find the most/least frequent items.
Bar Graph – How Pupils Travel To School
Method of Transport
Here is an activity to try:
 Ask your child to help put away the weekly shopping. Sort
shopping items into sets. Count using tally marks.
What do we buy most?
What do we buy least?
tins
llll l
frozen foods
llll
Children respond to activities that involve active learning in a real context.
Interacting with your child by talking about maths or playing games is very
worthwhile. Numbers are everywhere, on buses, on telephones, on money etc. Make
learning fun for you and your child!
Some Games to Support Mathematics

Snakes and ladders

Dominoes

Playing Cards

Bingo

Connect Four

Yatzee

Battle Ships
Some useful websites

www.4learning.co.uk/numbercrew

www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/maths/mathshome

www.4learning.co.uk/puzzlemaths

www.mathsyear2000.co.uk

www.nrich.maths.org

www.bbb.co.uk/education/megamaths

www.topmaths.co.uk/mathsgames