An Outstanding Maths and ICT Specialist School Inside this booklet, you will find simple ideas that you can use on a regular basis with your child at home to help them make progress. We have focused on the core subjects of English Mathematics and Science, but many of the ideas are transferable to other subjects. Please contact your child's subject teacher if you need to discuss any issues relating to their progress.
English Encouraging your child to do any of the following things will help them practice important literacy skills. Reading: Read aloud to your child; listen to your child read aloud Encourage half an hour reading before bed Encourage your child to read newspapers- ask them what the main story is about Encourage your child to read magazines/ leaflets/ free ads etc for meaning Encourage your child to read recipes/ cookery books/ TV guides Try to do the crossword Writing: Write out the shopping list Write out the to do list Write out Christmas list or letter There is also lots of useful information on the BBC s Bitesize website:
English Spelling The next few pages list the 300 most commonly used words. Checking that your child can read and spell these correctly, will help them in all of their subjects. High Frequency Words 0-100
English
English
Mathematics At Coombe Dean your child will study a wide range of mathematics. Learning mathematical skills is vital but the application of these skills is critical to success in life beyond formal education. To help with this your child will study personal finance and consider how mathematics is used in other subjects and employment. Your child has been given a personal login for the website www.mymaths.co.uk. This website is packed with lessons, practice worksheets and games. Every attempt at a worksheet generates a new set of questions so you can never run out!
Mathematics One of the most important basic skills is multiplication. Each half term your child will complete a '100 Club' challenge - to try to answer 100 multiplication tables questions with 15 minutes and score 95+. The better the time, the better the recall. Here's one to try out!
Mathematics For larger multiplications we use a method know as Chinese multiplication (or Napier's Bones). A video tutorial explaining this method can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=unfdmufk4x0 We have shown some of the stages below for multiplying 46 and 23: Step 1. Draw out the grid and write the numbers for the sum around the edge. Step 2. Fill in the answers to each smaller multiplication, e.g. 4 x 2 = 8 (there are no tens so write as 08) 0 1 8 2 1 1 2 8 Step 3. Add up the diagonal rows starting from the right, carrying any tens over the next column to be added in. 1 0 Step 4. 5 8 Read the final answer, in this case 1058, by following the edge of the box as shown by the arrows. 1 0 5 8
Science In order to support your child in Science, we encourage you to talk to them about the topic they are completing and the keywords and concepts that they have been introduced to. You could encourage them to describe or explain a keyword or simply practice spelling the word. You can make use of their science exercise book and revisit any worksheets or activities that have been completed. Further support can be found using KS3 Bitesize or Doddle which are shown below and on the following pages of this support booklet. To access Bitesize online it is necessary to search for KS3 Bitesize from your search engine, the KS3 is important to enter or you will be directed to GCSE Bitesize. Ask your child what topic they are completing; if it is: Physics - there is a section on energy, electricity and forces and the environment, the earth and beyond Biology - there is a section on organisms, behaviour and health Chemistry - there is a section on chemical and material behaviour For each sub-section you will find, revision, activities and tests to complete.
Science Doddle is an excellent resource for students to use for home learning. It has lots of revision resources and quizzes that teachers can set to be completed at home. When your child completes a quiz they will get feedback on how they have done and there are lots of interactive animations and recap pages that go through the concepts if they get a question wrong. It not only provides feedback on their knowledge but it can actually further their understanding of the concepts studied. To access Doddle your child should have a sticker in their planner explaining how to log on and their login details. If you want to help the next few images show how your child was taught to access and use the Doddle website.
Science To the right is a screen shot from one of the Chemistry quizzes about the reactions of metals with acid. If your child makes a mistake they are taken to a recap page (as shown on the right) to help their understanding.