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Hello, More tricky spellings! Homophones are words that sound the same, but are spelt differently and have different meanings. Even as adults we often get some of these spellings wrong! There are many homophones, bu t some of the most common are: there their they're to too two where wear we're (depending on pronunciation) which witch break brake weather whether With homophones, context is key. To know, for example, which 'weak' to spell, you need to know the

Hello, Spellings can be tricky! Particularly for words with unusual spelling rules, or words that aren't spelt phonetically - so they're not easy to decode and break down into individual sounds. Mnemonics are a super way to help remember these tricky words. Mnemonics are a useful learning tool to help remember spellings or information. They could be rhymes, sayings or acrostics. There are many famous mnemonics, some that you might know are: Richard of York gave battle in vain

Hello, Another tricky tables, is the 7s. They're taught in Year 4, and are often one of the last to be learnt. As they're hard, this is a good thing! By this point, children will know their 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 times tables and likely have learnt (or be learning) their 6, 9 and 12s. It is therefore really important to remember commutativity! If a child comes across the calculation 5 x 7, this might throw them if they're not yet confident in their 7s. However, they know their 5s

Hello, A tricky one today - the 9s! Recent research has found that the four trickiest times tables all involve 9: 9 x 6 6 x 9 9 x 7 3 x 9 It is worth remembering that times tables are commutative so 3 x 9 = 9 x 3 If you're more confident in your 3s, then this should help. See my blog about commutativity for more tips! The good news, is that there's loads of tricks to help you remember the 9s. It is worth trying them all, and finding which one you click with! I remember learni

Hello! The 6s are a tricky times table, for children and sometimes adults! As with the others we've looked at so far, there are some top tricks to help. I think it's interesting to note; recent research has found that 9 x 6 is thought of as the most difficult times table. It reflects that both the 9s and 6s are hard! It is worth also saying that both 9 x 6 and 6 x 9 were deemed tricky. As they are commutative, they give the same answer- which is useful to remember! See my blo

Hello! Today's top tip: Times Tables are Commutative! Although a daunting word, the concept of commutativity is simple: It means changing the order, doesn't change the result. This is true for multiplication and addition. Whichever way you write the multiplication (or times table), you'll get the same result: 4 x 8 = 8 x 4 4 x 8 = 32 and 8 x 4 = 32 This is really helpful to remember when children are learning their times tables! Often, they find some times tables tricki

Hello! Next in my Times Tables series: 4s and 8s. The 4s and 8s (along with the 3s) are introduced in Year 3. I've bundled them together, as there are a lot of patterns and tricks that link them. A lot of children find 8s tricky, but knowing their 4s well can help! As with any times tables, it's useful to begin by skip counting in that number: 4, 8, 12, 16... It is also useful to identify the facts you already know, for example a pupil in Year 3 should be already comfortable

Hello! Following on from my post about the Multiplication Tables Check, the next few blogs will focus on some top tips for each of the times tables. 5 times tables! Children begin counting in 5s in Year 1 and then formally learn it as a times tables in Year 2 (along with the 2s and 10s). Although children tend to find the 5s easier than some others, there are still some top tips to help remember them. These tips are particularly helpful later down the line, for example when l

Hello! The Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check is almost here! Between Monday 1st - Friday 12th June all Year 4 pupils will sit the Multiplication Tables Check. They will be asked 25 questions and have 6 seconds to answer. They will be tested on their 2 - 12 times tables, although the questions will focus primarily on the 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12s. These are the trickiest tables! Even beyond the Multiplication Tables Check, it is valuable for children to regularly practise their time

Hello! My aim for this blog is to provide parents support with their child's education. I have over 10 years primary teaching experience, and will use this space to share some of the best tips, games and advice I've come across! Supporting your child with their learning can be hard. They will often not tell you what they've been learning all day at school. Perhaps you feel you're not getting enough communication from their teacher as to what they're learning or how they're ge