Number bonds

[gef918]

I've started helping out at my son's school, doing number bonds and times tables with the children.

Some of them are really struggling - 6 year olds who can't hold up 4 fingers without counting them!

Any good websites, activities or ideas on how to help the ones who are really struggling to learn number bonds to 5?

[loocyloo]

BBC - KS1 Bitesize - Maths

this is the website we use at school to help with maths.

but I would expect the teacher to provide activities etc. I volunteer in school and have my own groups for handwriting and spelling practice, and also do targeted work with a couple of children, but for the target work the teacher showed me the resources and how they needed to be used with individual children. i do my own thing, but very rarely prepare anything at home to take in.
x

[FloraDora]

Wow, what a great parent helper you are!

But I also think it is up to the teacher to plan for specific group work.

Tell her that the children are not able to do the work she gave you, explain where they are at and she should adjust the activity for learning.

Volunteer parent helpers shouldn't plan.

[wee_elf]

Its lovely you are giving up your time to help, but I agree with the others it is the teachers responsibility to ensure the planning meets the needs of the children. I would let her know your concerns and take it from there xx

[The Juggler]

simple board games can help. you can even draw one

so throw a dice land on a square which says 3+? = 10 and then they write the answer on a sheet.

Or if you have any unifix or bead strings with only 10 cubes/beads so they can see how many left when they count out the first number.

I just taught this to a year 1 class and it was lovely - we said that we needed to work out who was a friend of 3 and then explained that if 7 is friends with 3 then 3 is always friends with 7. That really helps reinforce that they are number bonds and go together

[gef918]

Thanks for your replies.

I do need to sit down with the teacher and discuss how I can help the children. He's not really given me any guidance on what he wants me to do and the variation in the ability of the children is so large that it makes it difficult.

Juggler - I love the idea of the beads. Thank you

[The Juggler]

Thanks for your replies.

I do need to sit down with the teacher and discuss how I can help the children. He's not really given me any guidance on what he wants me to do and the variation in the ability of the children is so large that it makes it difficult.

Juggler - I love the idea of the beads. Thank you

you are welcome. use them along side number cards to reinforce. Get them to work it out on the beads first then find the number bond "friends" to reinforce a visual of which numbers go together.

[Emra81]

Working as a group to make up a number bonds rhyme works well too, especially if you add actions/visuals e.g. 7 and 3 - climb a tree, 8 and 2 - I love you etc. Quick and simple to practise and if you give the children a copy each they can also practise at home. I nearly burst when I overheard one of the children in my maths group mutter a line from our number bonds rhyme whilst doing a test a few years ago!

[amylouise867]

I am right in saying you are supporting the lower ability children?

Attention span usually poor due to lack of understanding?

You need to make the activity really really visual for them.

Get a child's hanger - matalan do lovely glittery sparkly ones.

Clip colourful pegs to the bottom part of the hanger insuring that they slide across.

Clip 5 pegs on and then you can ask children to separate them to discover number bonds.
Use some laminating cards turned over on the floor an ask a child to select a card. Get them to slide that amount across to one side and then count the pegs that are left to find out what number bonds with it.

Do a painting activity with lady birds and get them to paint spots of number bonds.

Use cubes, counters, their fingers - things the children can actually move/pick up/put up.

Make sure they aren't sitting down for too long too.

If you have a room get some large laminated numbers on pale yellow card. Stick them in noticeable places around the room.

Ask them to stand "which number goes with 3 to make 5?" And get them to physically move and go towards the number they believe is the answer within the room (bare in mind this would be as they are getting abit more confident). Ensure that if there is any confusion and children going to the wrong number that you do a demonstration of how to work out the correct answer.

Get a beach ball and in the segments write numbers 0-5 on them and all sit in a circle. Throw the beach ball to a child in the circle and get them to select one of the numbers their hand has landed on as they've caught it.
Then do a practical demonstration using cubes/pegs and hanger etc on how to work out the number that bonds with it. As the children get more familiar with it you can ask them to come and show you and the children how to work it out.

Praise works wonders to motivate too.

Have your stickers handy, hand them out and report back to the teacher telling them of any WOW moments in front of the children.

Hope that helps a little.

And yes I know you would expect the teacher to help but sometimes you want to have some input too and suggest ideas.

Talk to the teacher before hand and see what she thinks of your activities to do with the children.

Good luck - oh and I forgot to say - patience patience patience - it may take quite a while for some to grasp the concept

Amy x

[gef918]

Thank you Amy, that's fantastic advice.

Currently, I do one-to-one work with each of the children, sitting at a table for approx. 10-15min. Would love to do more active and creative maths with them - will definitely discuss your ideas with the teacher.

[Maza]

Some lovely ideas mentioned. Another one I used to do as a teacher was give each child 5 beanbags and a bucket/hoop. Ge them to throw their five beanbags and aim for the bucket/hoop. They then count up how many landed in the bucket/hoop and how many landed on the floor. They can record their answers on little white boards, eg, 3, 2.

If you just work with 5 children you can use them to make number bonds, for example, use two hoops and get some of them to stand in one hoop and some to stand in the other. If you have six children, one child could do the recording on a little whiteboard. Reinforce the fact that each time you still only have five children but you are making five in different ways. Both of these activities get the children up and moving - as someone said, don't have them sitting for too long.

You could also use 5 counters and a plastic cup. Have some counters outside the cup and some hidden under the cup. Can they work out how many are underneath the cup? Check together. All the time reinforce the language of number bonds - "yes, so 5 and 0 make 5 all together. 5 and 0 is a number bond of 5!" Encourage them to 'count on' from the number of counters that they see and to hold up their fingers as they count.

Well done for spotting that some of them can't hold up four fingers without counting them. This is also a skill that needs to be practised. I used to spend a few seconds each day playing games such as "Everyone hide your hands behind your back and when I call out a number I want you all to show me that number of fingers. Are you ready?" They used to love that. The children could also have a turn at calling out a number and then check to see if you have held up the correct number of fingers.

Good luck, I used to love teaching number bonds. x

[Maza]

Another one I used to do was get each child to draw around their hand on thin card/paper and cut it out. They can then fold down some of the fingers on it and leave some of them standing up.

Songs like 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, 5 Speckled Frogs etc. Could you use some little props (I'm sure the school has them, little frogs, a log etc) and sing these songs (or act them out) and make it explicit that they are exploring number bonds "Two frogs are still on the log but three of them are in the pool, two and three is a number bond of five!"

[Helly Belly]

Don't know if any one mentioned the song ... 9 and 1 are number bonds , 8 and 2 are friends 7&3, 6&4 , 5 and 5 are twins and don't forget 10&0 !!!

[amylouise867]

Thank you Amy, that's fantastic advice. Currently, I do one-to-one work with each of the children, sitting at a table for approx. 10-15min. Would love to do more active and creative maths with them - will definitely discuss your ideas with the teacher.

You are more than welcome lovely.

Hope all is going well for you! x

[amylouise867]

Some lovely ideas mentioned. Another one I used to do as a teacher was give each child 5 beanbags and a bucket/hoop. Ge them to throw their five beanbags and aim for the bucket/hoop. They then count up how many landed in the bucket/hoop and how many landed on the floor. They can record their answers on little white boards, eg, 3, 2. If you just work with 5 children you can use them to make number bonds, for example, use two hoops and get some of them to stand in one hoop and some to stand in the other. If you have six children, one child could do the recording on a little whiteboard. Reinforce the fact that each time you still only have five children but you are making five in different ways. Both of these activities get the children up and moving - as someone said, don't have them sitting for too long. You could also use 5 counters and a plastic cup. Have some counters outside the cup and some hidden under the cup. Can they work out how many are underneath the cup? Check together. All the time reinforce the language of number bonds - "yes, so 5 and 0 make 5 all together. 5 and 0 is a number bond of 5!" Encourage them to 'count on' from the number of counters that they see and to hold up their fingers as they count. Well done for spotting that some of them can't hold up four fingers without counting them. This is also a skill that needs to be practised. I used to spend a few seconds each day playing games such as "Everyone hide your hands behind your back and when I call out a number I want you all to show me that number of fingers. Are you ready?" They used to love that. The children could also have a turn at calling out a number and then check to see if you have held up the correct number of fingers. Good luck, I used to love teaching number bonds. x

Love your physical activities with the bean bags and hoops - the children would love this!!

There's an extra few activities to add to my bank too - thanks for sharing xx

[gef918]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm excited to get back into school and try out some of these ideas.

[amylouise867]

Just checking back - how are you getting on??
Did you manage to talk to the teacher you are working with? xx

[gef918]

Just checking back - how are you getting on??
Did you manage to talk to the teacher you are working with? xx

I've taken on a temporary mindee, so won't be in school again till next week. Will let you know how it goes.