What is the Numeracy Hour?

By Mary Dowson

The Numeracy Strategy was introduced in 1999 and involves an hour's activity a day - mainly mental maths. As we all know practice makes perfect, so here are some pointers for how you can help.

Introduction
Helping your child

Introduction
The Numeracy Hour involves around 10 minutes of mental 'warm up' activities, aimed at helping children get better at doing sums in their heads. Then the class works (sometimes in ability groups) on that day's maths skill, often in the form of everyday problems to solve. There are set objectives for each year, so ask your school if they haven't already communicated these to you.

Helping your child
Here are some ways to help your child practise:

counting forwards and backwards in 1s, 2s, 10s and 5s
ordering numbers
helping her to memorise all the pairs of numbers that make 10, for example, 3+7, 8+2, 4+6
doubling and halving numbers to 10
encouraging your child to look for patterns in numbers, for example, look at the 5 x table - what do all the numbers end with?
using mathematical vocabulary, for example, 'add', 'sum', 'total', 'take away', 'subtract', 'difference between', in practical situations
partitioning numbers, for example, 15 = 10+5, 18 = 10+8
comparing objects - which is heavier, lighter, longer, shorter?
looking at shapes, describing them and naming them
getting your child to verbalise how they came to an answer

Children are being encouraged to approach a problem from different angles. The mental skills learnt early will help them. When you look at your child's number book don't be surprised if you do not see rows of real sums. They are being encouraged to use jottings, diagrams and number lines to solve problems. You will be amazed at how confident your child will become. When she is doing her homework, let her explain her method, then help her choose the best strategy. Hers may not be yours. By doing this, you will help raise her self-esteem and confidence.

Most schools organise a Maths Evening to explain the strategy and how to encourage mental calculations. Check with your school to see if they are planning something like this.

Mary Dowson is a primary school teacher and mother of two. She lives in London.