What your child will learn in maths#

They will learn to use different methods to solve problems, including word problems and different types of tables, graphs and diagrams. Children will connect their understanding of whole numbers to fractions and decimals. They will also apply their maths skills to understand concepts like angles, perimeter and area, and to explore patterns, shapes and data.

Having good mathematical skills and a positive view of themselves as maths learners will help your child in the future. They are important for things like solving problems and creative thinking. When talking to your child about maths, encourage them to use the vocabulary that they have been using in their maths classes.

Numbers#

Your child is learning to:

• Work with larger numbers to add and subtract numbers up to 10,000, and multiply and divide 3-digit numbers (for example, 245 x 8, 118 ÷ 4 = 29 remainder 2). Your child will also continue to strengthen their multiplication and division skills, including learning the 7-, 8-, and 9-times tables.
• Use clear working for calculations such as formal methods, like vertical columns, to set out their work. They practice estimating, rounding and connecting their knowledge of place value and basic maths facts with their calculations.
• Build ideas about fractions and decimals by ordering and comparing and adding and subtracting numbers with 2 decimal places, (for example, 32.55 - 21.21 = 11.34). Children will also continue their learning about fractions, including finding simple fractions of whole amounts (for example, 2/3 of 24).
• Apply maths to financial situations to represent money in different ways using coins and notes, and how to calculate the total cost of items, including the change from the nearest 10 dollars.

Algebra#

Your child is learning to:

• solve number sentences using different operations, like 674 + 56 – __ = 671
• identify patterns by spotting patterns, understanding the rules behind them and predicting what comes next in a growing pattern
• develop algorithmic thinking by creating and following step-by-step instructions (algorithms) like explaining the fastest way through a maze or giving instructions to draw a diagram.

Measurement#

Your child is learning to:

• Estimate and accurately measure length, weight, capacity, temperature and time, using the right tools and units. They will also measure the perimeter of a familiar shape using millimetres, metres, or centimetres and develop their ideas about area using squares and volume using cubes.
• Describe angles as acute, right, obtuse, straight and reflex. They will also connect angles with turns – for example, 90 degrees is a right angle and looks like a quarter turn.
• Understand time and work out time problems by looking at different units of time, such as how many days are in a week, months in a year, and how to convert between them. They are also solving problems that involve calculating the duration of time, using ‘am’ and ‘pm’ notation – for example, figuring out how long something lasts if it is from 10.30am to 3.15pm).

Geometry#

Your child is learning to:

• Recognise and describe 2D and 3D shapes including regular polygons (with equal sides and angles) and irregular polygons (with sides and angles that are not all the same). They explore shapes like cubes and pyramids, learning about faces (flat surfaces), edges (where 2 faces meet), vertices (corners) and cross-sections (shapes seen when cut through). When they look at different shapes, they also notice parallel (lines that never meet) and perpendicular (lines that meet at a right angle) sides.
• Read maps and give directions including grid maps, and using coordinates (like A3, B5) to locate objects, and practise giving and following directions using compass points (north, south, east and west).

Statistics#

Your child is learning to:

• Explore real data – ask and answer questions using data and predict what they think the data will show. In Year 5, investigations might compare data, such as "can people in Year 5 jump further than people in Year 6?"
• Collect and check data – plan how to collect their own data, check where it comes from, and make sure it is trustworthy. They also learn to organise data and look for mistakes.
• Present and make sense of data – by creating and describing graphs and charts and making statements about the results. They also compare their findings to their original predictions and what they already know.
• Develop statistical literacy – to check and improve how others collect and present data to avoid mistakes or misleading information.

Probability#

Your child is learning to plan and carry out probability experiments to:

• Investigate chance – by exploring chance-based situations, including those with outcomes that aren’t equally likely. They start by asking questions, predicting possible outcomes, and identifying all ways each outcome could happen. For example, "what is the chance of pulling out a red counter from a bag that has 10 red and 15 blue counters?"
• Collect and record data – by working out the possible outcomes and/or doing the experiment and recording the results. They will then create charts to present the data and describe what these charts show.
• Compare results and probabilities – by looking at their experiment’s findings with the expected probabilities.

Resource#