Homework

Reading

Reading allows us to be transported from our own world to another. Between the pages of a book, we can become immersed in the lives of fictional characters and learn about a culture entirely different from our own. We can also learn new words and phrases, experience a range of emotions, and acquire skills and knowledge.

The expectation is that your child will read at home every night. Please ensure that you record in the reading record book when your child has read at home. Reading records will need to be in school on Wednesday to check that your child is reading at home. 

Spelling

Your child will have a set of spellings sent out on a Friday which they will need to learn for the following Friday.

Times Tables

1. Learning one times table makes others easier to learn

By starting with smaller times tables and gradually building up, children will learn number rules that’ll make learning other times tables much easier. For example, once you know your 2 times table, you can learn your 4 times table simply by doubling the answers! 

To help you get started, take a look at the best order to learn times tables.

2. Times tables improve mental maths skills

Memorising times tables makes it far quicker for children to work out mental maths problems in their heads. Moving beyond using their fingers to work out answers, they’ll be able to use their knowledge to quickly solve any multiplication questions.

By memorising their times tables, children will also become more accustomed to using their head to visualise answers for questions. This will help them to solve questions involving multiplication, addition, subtraction and division in their head, making the act of memorising multiplication tables a very worthwhile cause! 

3. They help children understand other concepts

Beyond memorisation, learning times tables and understanding how they work can do wonders for building children’s knowledge of important mathematical concepts. These include fractions, percentages and even shapes.

For example, using visual representations of times tables (such as counters) can help children to visualise the role of sequences, addition and fractions.

As they become more confident with their times tables, they’ll use this knowledge to spot other number relationships. For example, they’ll realise to work out any answers for the 4 times table, they simply need to halve the equivalent answer for the 8 times table! 

4. We use times tables in everyday life

Knowing times tables isn’t just useful for weekly multiplication tests – they also come in handy outside of the classroom! How much would it cost to buy three comics which cost £2 each? Simply calculate 3 x 2! Or how many chocolates are there in total if my four friends have five each? Work out 4 x 5! The possibilities are endless.

5. Knowing your times tables increases confidence

Perhaps most importantly, memorising their tables will give your child confidence in their own maths skills. There’s nothing more grown-up than not having to use your fingers to work out an answer!

This confidence will help them in SATs and other assessments, and ultimately, ease their move into secondary education.