Before Mental Comes Physical Maths

Before mental maths comes physical maths. Today’s classrooms are full of mathematical aids to help our children visualise and feel the Maths before they even attempt to construct a number sentence or do maths in their heads. Base Ten Dienes blocks are used to demonstrate place value with ones, tens, hundreds and thousands blocks. Numicon is a weighted, flat block with fingers holes and is used to demonstrate number bonds. The number line is used to demonstrate the relative position of numbers when counting and then used for addition and subtraction. Place value arrows are used to build digits up into numbers. And finally counters are used to help visualise number sentences. Although they are probably all unfamiliar to you, your child will be using them all daily to help with their mathematical understanding.