Targeting Mental Maths Year 5
The developmen t of a variety of mental strategies helps to make children confident mat hematicians.
Students who can perform mathematical computations s wiftly and accurately in their heads are seen as being ??good at maths?? . In general, poorer performing students use less efficient strategies a nd the development of mental computation through a strategy approach can help them move forwards. Research has shown that ??after instruction st udents seem more likely to use strategies that reflected number sense an d that this was a long-term change. ?? (Markovits and Sowder, 1994)
The Year 5 Targeting Mental Maths book has been writ ten to complement the NSW Year 5 Targeting Maths Student Book. The two-page weekly units run parallel to the contents in the st udent book. Units are divided into four terms of work and each term ends with a Revision Unit. There are 35 units in total.
A unit consis ts of two facing pages. The left-hand page has three groups of quick men tal exercises that constantly practise the necessary maths facts. The ri ght-hand page always starts with an explanation and practice of a mental strategy. This is followed by exercises that include work on space, mea surement, position, number, data, chance etc. The page concludes with a problem of the week.
Answer pages are in the centre of the book s o that the complete section can be easily pulled out and kept separate i f the teacher so wishes.
Targeting Mental Maths fulfills the need for easily accessible mental warm-ups, constant practi ce of maths facts, a useful homework book and further revision of a conc ept being taught.
