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Oral and mental work in mathematics - Page 3

The six Rs of oral and mental work

The table below identifies six features of children's mathematical learning that oral and mental work can support. There is a brief description of the learning focus and an outline of possible activities. These are not independent: oral and mental work may address more than one feature of learning and have more than one purpose. What is important is that the activity is purposeful and children understand what they are engaged in and required to learn during the oral and mental activity. The six Rs provide a vocabulary and guide to use when identifying the purposes of oral and mental work; they are not meant to provide a coverage checklist.

Six Rs Learning focus Possible activities
Rehearse To practise and consolidate existing skills, usually mental calculation skills, set in a context to involve children in problem solving through the use and application of these skills; use of vocabulary and language of number, properties of shapes or describing and reasoning. Interpret words such as more, less, sum, altogether, difference, subtract; find missing numbers or missing angles on a straight line; say the number of days in four weeks or the number of 5p coins that make up 35p; describe part-revealed shapes, hidden solids; describe patterns or relationships; explain decisions or why something meets criteria.
Recall To secure knowledge of facts, usually number facts; build up speed and accuracy; recall quickly names and properties of shapes, units of measure or types of charts, graphs to represent data. Count on and back in steps of constant size; recite the 6-times table and derive associated division facts; name a shape with five sides or a solid with five flat faces; list properties of cuboids; state units of time and their relationships.
Refresh To draw on and revisit previous learning; to assess, review and strengthen children's previously acquired knowledge and skills relevant to later learning; return to aspects of mathematics with which the children have had difficulty; draw out key points from learning. Refresh multiplication facts or properties of shapes and associated vocabulary; find factor pairs for given multiples; return to earlier work on identifying fractional parts of given shapes; locate shapes in a grid as preparation for lesson on coordinates; refer to general cases and identify new cases.
Refine To sharpen methods and procedures; explain strategies and solutions; extend ideas and develop and deepen the children's knowledge; reinforce their understanding of key concepts; build on earlier learning so that strategies and techniques become more efficient and precise. Find differences between two two-digit numbers, extend to three-digit numbers to develop skill; find 10% of quantities, then 5% and 20% by halving and doubling; use audible and quiet counting techniques to extend skills; give coordinates of shapes in different orientations to hone concept; review informal calculation strategies.
Read To use mathematical vocabulary and interpret images, diagrams and symbols correctly; read number sentences and provide equivalents; describe and explain diagrams and features involving scales, tables or graphs; identify shapes from a list of their properties; read and interpret word problems and puzzles; create their own problems and lines of enquiry. Tell a story using an interactive bar chart, alter the chart for children to retell the story; start with a number sentence (e.g. 2 + 11 = 13) children generate and read equivalent statements for 13; read values on scales with different intervals; read information about a shape and eliminate possible shapes; set number sentences in given contexts; read others' results and offer new questions and ideas for enquiry.
Reason To use and apply acquired knowledge, skills and understanding; make informed choices and decisions, predict and hypothesise; use deductive reasoning to eliminate or conclude; provide examples that satisfy a condition always, sometimes or never and say why. Sort shapes into groups and give reasons for selection; discuss why alternative methods of calculation work and when to use them; decide what calculation to do in a problem and explain the choice; deduce a solid from a 2-D picture; use fractions to express proportions; draw conclusions from given statements to solve puzzles.