Scroll to content
School Logo

St. Colmcille's Primary School
and Learning Support Centres

Numeracy

Maths Topic: Measuring Length

 

Pupils eagerly investigated measuring length using non-standard units and had a great time in the process! They got creative, using a variety of classroom items like cubes, paperclips, counters, £1 coins, and dominoes to measure the lengths of various objects. From a table to a ruler, an iPad, their own hands, and pencils, there was no shortage of items to explore. Working in pairs made it even more enjoyable as they measured the lengths of different images together. It was a fantastic hands-on learning experience that really engaged everyone and helped them understand measurements in a fun way!

🌟 Estimating 🌟

As part of their problem solving focus the children have been exploring the skill of estimating. The children completed lots of different activities such as estimating:

 

- how many finger prints would fill a snowman template and then checking.

- the lengths/heights of different objects and measuring with unifix cubes.

- how many items were in different sized baskets and jars. 
- how many cubes long a class member is and measuring.

- playing estimation games on the IWB.

✨ Skip Counting ✨

The children recently practised their ability to skip count in different patterns. They worked on counting in 2s, 3s and 4s. The children laid out practical objects such as dice and unifix cubes in repeating sets and then counted to see the progression in the number. They also drew around numicon pieces, counting and recording the pattern as they went. The children also worked on testing one another on these patterns to see could they recall them orally and at increasing speed. The Splat 100 square was a great tool to help the children build up the patterns. We will continue to work on our quick oral recall of these patterns throughout the year.

Data Handling: Tally Chart

 

In our recent outdoor activity, the pupils had a fantastic time completing a tally chart of the different colours of cars parked in the Church car park. The pupils were organised into small groups with each group being assigned a specific colour to focus on. First, the pupils counted the cars of their assigned colour and used their fingers to present the amount they had identified. It was a fun, interactive way to engage with data! Once we returned to the classroom, the pupils diligently recorded their findings in tally form, ensuring they understood how to represent their data visually while enjoying the learning process.

Human Bar Chart

 

During a recent PE lesson, the pupils engaged in a fun and interactive activity by creating a human bar chart. The first bar chart focused on eye colour, where students arranged themselves according to their eye colour, showcasing the diversity within the class. Next up, we had the bar chart representing hair colour, which was equally vibrant. Finally, the last bar chart showed pets at home, sparking conversations among the pupils as they discovered who had a pet as a member of their family.

As the pupils moved slowly around the hall, they tuned into various gymnastics shapes like arch, dish, pike, and squat, which added an element of physicality to the lesson. Every time they heard the word 'sort', they knew it was time to head over to the relevant bar chart and organise themselves into the right category. It was a fantastic way to combine movement, mathematics, and social interaction!

Odd and Even Numbers! πŸ”’

The pupils revised their knowledge of odd and even numbers through activity based learning.

 

- They made an even and odd monster using different body parts.

- Sorted the numicon pieces and number digit cards into odd and even.

- Practised sorting numbers using games such as ‘Topmarks Coconut odd and even’

- Solved odd and even challenge cards.

Practical Subtraction 

Pupils enhanced their subtraction skills by taking part in a range of practical activities that made learning fun and engaging. They practised mental maths strategies such as counting back, removal, and finding the difference, which really helped them grasp the concepts. By using their knowledge of place value, they confidently subtracted a single digit from a two-digit number. These hands-on experiences not only boosted their understanding of subtraction but also enhanced their ability to use these strategies in everyday situations. It was great to see each pupil grow in confidence while having fun with maths!

Practical Subtraction

 

The children have been working hard to develop their understanding of the concept of subtraction by engaging in various hands on activities and games. They have been working on using their mental maths strategies of counting back, removal and find the difference as well as their knowledge of place value to help them answer basic subtraction facts, subtract a single digit from a teens number and some of the children also had a go at subtracting 2 digit numbers. Some of our fun practical activities included:

 

-Subtraction bowling

-Playdough subtraction squash

-Popcorn subtraction

-Race to the answer

-Subtraction four in a row

Halloween Themed Place Value

 

The children have been learning to understand the value of each digit in two and three digit numbers. They loved playing the game 'Shark Numbers' on Topmarks to reinforce their understanding of this concept. When their knowledge was secure the children spent time creating place value haunted houses. Their level of enjoyment and engagement in this Halloween task was wonderful. 

Maths Topic - Creating 3D shapes

Today P3A participated in rotation activities to explore the properties of 3d shapes. They created models of 3d shapes from lolly sticks, magnetic tiles, wooden blocks, clicksy, octagons and plastic shapes. As they created the 3D shapes the pupils discussed the number of faces, edges and vertices of their 3d shape models.

Mental Maths - Addition 

In class, pupils had a fantastic time enhancing their addition skills through interactive games. There was excitement in the room as each pupil spun the wheel to land on different addition problems. Once they had their sum, they calculated the answer and selected from the multiple-choice options provided. To make the activity even more engaging, pupils were encouraged to share their mental calculations verbally with their peers, fostering a collaborative learning environment that made the process both fun and educational.