NSPCC Number Day - Our Nifty Number Outfits!
Count Us In for NSPCC Number Day! Our school was looking a little different today as we swapped our usual uniforms for a sea of digits and mathematical patterns! From our youngest learners in Preschool to our eldest in Year 6, everyone joined in the fun to celebrate the NSPCC’s Number Day. It was wonderful to see the creativity on display, with both children and staff wearing their favourite numbers to help raise vital funds for the NSPCC’s "Speak Out, Stay Safe" programme. Whether it was a football jersey, a hand-decorated t-shirt, or even a giant birthday number 7, the whole school community came together to prove that there really is safety in numbers. A huge thank you to all our families for your brilliant efforts with the outfits and for your kind donations. It’s a fantastic day of problem-solving and numbers, all for a very important cause.
Year 1 Making Connections: Number Bonds to 10 & 20!
???? Our Year 1 mathematicians at Darwen St James’ have been diving deep into the world of White Rose Maths this week! We’ve been busy building a rock-solid foundation by mastering our number bonds to 10. But the learning didn't stop there! Many of our brave learners took on the challenge to 20, showing incredible grit and "Nurturing Ambition" with every calculation. ???? How we learned today: Hands-On Discovery: Using Numicon and counters to visualize how numbers fit together. Collaborative Learning: Working in groups on the carpet to solve puzzles and share strategies. Independent Challenge: Applying our skills to worksheets and interactive games at our desks. It is wonderful to see our students' confidence grow as they spot patterns and unlock the secrets of addition! ???? #WhiteRoseMaths #Year1 #NumberBonds #DarwenStJames #NurturingAmbition #PrimaryMaths #MathsConfidence
Year 4 Maths Group - Adding 9 and 11
This week, the Year 4 Maths group have been becoming "Maths Ninjas" by using the Plus 10 Shortcut! To add 9, we jump forward 10 and hop back 1. To add 11, we jump forward 10 and hop forward 1 more. Fast, easy, and accurate!
Year 5 Maths - Using Place Value Counters to understand Decimal Numbers
Exploring the Power of the Decimal Point This week, Year 5 have ventured into the fascinating world of decimals, marking the start of an important new unit where we will discover the intricate links between decimals, fractions, and percentages. To ensure the children have a deep understanding of these concepts rather than just learning a method, we began by using concrete manipulatives. Using decimal place value counters and formal place value grids, the pupils worked to represent numbers with up to two decimal places. By physically placing counters into the 'ones', 'tenths', and 'hundredths' columns, the children were able to clearly see the value of each digit. This hands-on approach is vital for helping pupils understand that while a digit may look the same, its position relative to the decimal point completely changes its worth. Once the children were confident in representing these values, they moved on to partitioning. They manipulated the counters to show that a number like 0.45 is not just a single value, but is composed of four tenths and five hundredths. This ability to break down and rebuild numbers provides a solid foundation for more complex calculations. The engagement in the classroom was excellent, and it was wonderful to hear the children using precise mathematical vocabulary to explain their thinking. We look forward to seeing them apply this newfound confidence as we begin to link these decimals to their fractional equivalents!
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Year 2 - Maths - Dividing by Grouping
Have you ever wondered how we can make sure everyone gets an equal share? This week, our Year 2 pupils have been answering that very question by using physical counters to practically group different amounts. Through this hands-on exploration, the children discovered that this process of sharing is called dividing. By physically moving the counters into separate piles, they observed a fundamental mathematical rule in action: when we divide, the resulting answer gets smaller than the number we started with. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they master these essential building blocks of arithmetic. #Mathematics #Year2 #PrimaryEducation #HandsOnLearning #Division
Nursery - Maths - I Spy...
This week, the children have been developing their early mathematical skills by learning how to categorise and sort by colour. To explore this concept, the children played a game of "I Spy" using a variety of resources set out on the malleable tray. Each child selected a coloured bowl and was challenged to find items that matched that specific colour to fill their bowl. This task encouraged the children to focus on the properties of objects and use their visual discrimination skills to ignore distractions and find matching items. Throughout the activity, the children were encouraged to use colour language to describe their findings. This hands-on approach successfully introduced the concept of sorting into sets and helped the children build confidence in identifying and naming different colours within their environment.
Pre-School-Maths-Subitising
This week in Maths, we have been subitising up to 7. The children played a number of different games where they used their quick-thinking maths skills to subitise numbers and groups of objects from 1 to 7. The children loved using their quick-thinking skills and tested each other by holding up different numbers of fingers and quickly hiding them, allowing other children to subitise and give an answer.
Nursery - Maths - Categorising Objects By Size
Today, the children used our topic story, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, to explore size and categorization. The activity began with a "herd" of goats on the grass. The children were tasked with identifying and sorting specific sizes, focusing on big and small. To support their understanding, they used visual Widgits and hand gestures to represent the sizes they were searching for. Once a goat was found, the children placed it on the bridge, checking that their group consisted of the same size. This promoted skills in matching and comparison. For an extra challenge, some children were introduced to the 'medium' goats, practicing the tricky task of distinguishing them from the big and small ones. This successfully built their mathematical vocabulary and ability to differentiate between three distinct sizes.
Year 4 Maths - Dividing 2-digit numbers by 1 number
Year 4 have started to put their maths knowledge to the test whilst looking at division. We already know that division is the inverse of multiplication and we can use the facts we know to help us answer division questions. What about when we are dividing larger numbers? Well, Year 4 have been partitioning, using place value counters and other resources to help them answer questions and the results are pretty amazing! Any division problems need sorting, give Year 4 a call!
Pre-School - Maths - Comparison
This week in Maths we played Supermarket Sweep ???? The children worked in pairs, collecting items when the bell rang and stopping when it rang again. Back on the carpet, they counted their items and compared who had more, fewer or the same. A fun, energetic way to practise counting and comparing numbers!
Year 2 - Maths - Active Learning
Who knew that mastering money could be such a cardio workout? This week, our Year 2s took over the school hall for an energetic "Human Bank" challenge to put their addition skills to the test. Working in teams, the children had to plan how to make the amounts displayed on the board, with one member at a time sprinting the length of the hall to retrieve a single coin. The real breakthrough came when the children discovered the power of mathematical efficiency; they quickly realised that fetching a single 5p coin was much faster than making five separate trips for 1ps! It was a fantastic display of teamwork and strategic thinking, proving that the fastest way to the finish line is often the smartest way to count. #Year2Maths #ActiveLearning #PrimaryEducation #MathsIsFun #Teamwork #FinancialLiteracy
KS2 TTRS Battle of the Bands!
Here we go ???? We’ve kicked off a KS2 Times Tables Rock Stars Battle of the Bands today, with classes going head to head to see who can rack up the most points. The battle runs from today until 13th February. During that time, children can contribute to their class score for up to one hour a day on Times Tables Rock Stars. Every correct answer counts, so regular practice really will make a difference. This is all about building confidence, speed and accuracy with times tables, while having a bit of fun and healthy competition along the way. We’ll be cheering on effort as much as scores. Let the battle begin ????
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