Each year group has an individual maths booklet is named after a different planet and is stuck in back of Spelling Books.  The Maths Planet Booklets are pitched in line with year group expectations. They contain the maths facts from the National Curriculum and these will be taught during the year in maths.   They are designed to support parents to reinforce this learning outside school.  The children need to be very secure in their knowledge and ability to recall (quickly) in order to ‘achieve’ each objective.

Teachers will indicate in the Maths Planet Booklet which facts need to be practised at home. Children need to show that the learning has been embedded. Once you feel your child is confident with the fact put a date in the ‘Home’ column. The dates in the ‘Home’ column must be at least two weeks apart to show they have practiced over a period of time. In Years 4, 5  and 6, the ‘Me’ column is for the child to sign once they feel confident they know the fact. When a fact is tested in school, the teacher will either put a sticker on the ‘star’ on the front cover or date the completed fact to show your child has been tested and has been successful. This can only be done in school!

The Front Cover

Initially, children need to have a secure understanding of the value of number, and need to be able to create numbers in different ways. These facts needs to be recalled quickly.

• Number bonds – two numbers that add together to make a whole. e.g. 5 = 1 +4 or 3+ 2
• Subtraction facts for number bonds – the reversal, e.g. 5 – 2 = 3, 5 – 1 = 4
• Doubles –children need to be able to mentally double numbers to 20, e.g. double 4 = 8, double 16 = 32
• Halves – the reversal of doubles facts. They need to be able to mentally half even numbers, e.g. ½ of 14 = 7

In KS2 we focus on children having quick recall of their times tables facts, although they do begin learning these within KS1. You can practice by:

• writing/solving them in order
• writing/solving them ‘muddled up’
• quickfire reciting, e.g. 1 x 2 = 2, 2 x 2 =4
• quickfire recall of any fact

Children also need to know the division facts for their times tables, e.g. if 3 x 4 = 12, 12 ÷ 4 = 3. ‘BBC SuperMovers’ have times tables songs which are active and fun to help recite these facts.

The ‘Inside’ Facts

Inside each Planet Booklet, there are listed the relevant maths facts that each child needs to apply in their year group, as stated in the National Curriculum.