Help with number facts

There are a number of ways that you can help your children to develop and maintain proficiency with number facts.

You can:

• talk to your children and find out what number facts are currently being taught or practiced at school
• keep in touch with your child’s teacher to be aware of how the facts are being taught
• make available blocks, buttons, counters or similar materials for children to manipulate – these are useful in dealing with the “I don’t know” response
• play dice, card and spinner games which provide a real context for children to apply their knowledge of facts
• practice facts with your children on a regular basis – in the car, while shopping, even while they’re in the bath
• encourage your children to see the links between facts e.g. 2+3+5; 5-3=2
• allow children to informally explore number combinations on the calculator
• praise your children’s achievements as they master sets of number facts – the saying that “nothing succeeds like success’ certainly holds true for the learning of number facts
• locate websites that allow children to play games where they consolidate their number facts.