Maths help for a 6 year old

zooankski · 3 Mar 2011 at 20:22

I have just spent the last hour trying to explain the 2 x table to my daughter and it is not making much sense to her at all. Does anyone have any suggestions for good fun books i could use to help her or some where i could get work sheets we could do together?
Come to think of it-any mathematical worksheets for 6-7 year olds might be helpful.
There is plenty of rubbish i have found (mainly American) but i am specifically interested in any thing that other parents have used with success here in the uk.

Stupot_ · 3 Mar 2011 at 20:24

Could you try explaining it with objects? Sweets, toys etc...

Mason- · 3 Mar 2011 at 20:25

Just explain it to her like this?

2 + 2

there are 2 2's

2 + 2 + 2

there are 3 2's

that not work?

zooankski · 3 Mar 2011 at 20:34

Mason- said:
Just explain it to her like this?

2 + 2

there are 2 2's

2 + 2 + 2

there are 3 2's

that not work?

Funny enough, that is what i finished up doing although by that time she was getting upset with herself for not understanding. That is the last thing i want to happen and i must not make her feel afraid of mathematics! (a subject that has always made me panic!) so i gave her loads of praise for trying and said we will have another go tomorrow.
In the mean time i am just trying to figure out what other parents have used and done to help their kids of about this age.

Mason- · 3 Mar 2011 at 20:37

Try sweets then, like suggested.

Seperate them into sets of 2. (Tape them together, or rubber bands)

And deal with them in 2's.

Give her 2 sets of 2 and ask her how many there are in total etc etc?

Obviously reward with sweets will be good.

And dw, I hated maths till I was about 10 and now I destroy it.

mollymoo · 3 Mar 2011 at 21:03

There's an online thing that schools are getting involved in called mathletics have a look at that.

Lakeland · 3 Mar 2011 at 21:10

Depends how you're teaching her. Are you just doing a bit of extra curricular? If so and you are only doing little bits now and again, try doing it when the maths actually needs to be used, i.e. when she has a pack of sweets and wants to give everyone in the room two sweets, she can work out the math and then count to check she has enough to share, rather than sitting with paper which is probably awkward. Also, if you see the shutters coming down, move on and try another day, and if you start getting frustrated do the same, otherwise you may go backwards

Macky · 3 Mar 2011 at 21:20

I don't remember learning my times tables till I was about 8. Give her time. Do you not have faith in the school teaching it to her or has she been identified as struggling?

Vonhelmet · 3 Mar 2011 at 21:30

I remember being at nursery and being really puzzled that 2+2 = 2*2

Seriously, my mind was blown.

Skeptic · 3 Mar 2011 at 21:45

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/numeracy/multiplication/index.shtml

Things like this are helpful to understand the underlying structure of timestables. I use this in my work a fair bit (ed psych), and it often helps. School should also provide some support with Maths Makes Sense or some other structured programme.

jackthezipper · 3 Mar 2011 at 21:52

Look for the carol vordeman DVD's

bash247 · 3 Mar 2011 at 21:56

To help my nephew understand times tables I used 2p Coins. He started to understand how it works fairly quickly.

Try to give this a go

Note: U will need a lot of 2p coins lol.

arknor · 3 Mar 2011 at 21:58

Macky said:
I don't remember learning my times tables till I was about 8. Give her time. Do you not have faith in the school teaching it to her or has she been identified as struggling?

my 6year old knows a lot of times tables.

2x
3x
4x
5x
10x
hes been learning what adjectives are aswell.

sanaxe1 · 3 Mar 2011 at 21:59

I had a times table chart where you push the button and it shows the answer, This helped a lot.

CharlieAlbert · 3 Mar 2011 at 22:05

does Bitesize do maths for that age? That's fun

CharlieAlbert · 3 Mar 2011 at 22:06

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/numeracy/multiplication/index.shtml

RomanNose · 3 Mar 2011 at 22:13

arknor said:
my 6year old knows a lot of times tables.

2x
3x
4x
5x
10x
hes been learning what adjectives are aswell.

Make sure you get him onto old English and Latin.
Damn if I could, I would love to see what would happen if I taught a child old English only.

Macky · 3 Mar 2011 at 22:39

chaosdestro0 said:
Make sure you get him onto old English and Latin.
Damn if I could, I would love to see what would happen if I taught a child old English only.

They'd struggle quite horribly to fit in with society? Or any form of social group?

jonifen · 3 Mar 2011 at 23:38

My son (6 this year) goes on that Mathletics through his school. He also likes the maths games on ICT Games - http://www.ictgames.com/resources.html and Maths Zone - http://www.mathszone.co.uk/

We also have a toy till to play shops with sometimes - but like someone else said, make sure you have loads of 1p and 2p coins

Westyfield2 · 3 Mar 2011 at 23:42

chaosdestro0 said:
Make sure you get him onto old English and Latin.
Damn if I could, I would love to see what would happen if I taught a child old English only.

I really wish I was taught Latin at school. Wasn't even an option

.