Learning Plan — Building Confident Foundations in Basic Maths
(designed for a students who finds maths challenging and needs solid competence with core operations)
Guiding Principles
- Little-and-often beats long marathons. Short, predictable bursts keep anxiety low and focus high.
- Simple is best, keep the level set to Easy or Normal.
- Success first. Every session should end on something the child can do independently, no matter how small.
- Talk maths out loud. Verbalising steps makes thinking visible and cements understanding.
Phase 1 – Number Sense Warm-Up (Weeks 1-2)
| Element | Details |
| Session rhythm | 2 × 10-minute sessions daily (morning & late afternoon). Keep it quick and upbeat. |
| Goals | • Recognise quantities 0-10 without counting (subitising). • Build stable counting sequence to 30. |
| Activities | 1. Dot card flashes (5 min): child names how many dots in < 3 s. 2. Count-&-match (5 min): match numeral cards to groups of buttons/blocks. |
| Parent moves | • Sit side-by-side, model counting aloud. • Praise noticing ("You spotted 7 straight away!"). |
Phase 2 – Addition & Subtraction Within 10 (Weeks 3-5)
| Element | Details |
| Session rhythm | 3 × 15-minute sessions daily (breakfast / after school / early evening). |
| Goals | • Combine and separate numbers within 10 fluently. • Understand "making 10" as a strategy. |
| Activities | 1. Ten-frame bingo: fill a ten-frame with counters to match oral problems. 2. Fact-family triangles: show how 3, 5, 8 link (+/-). 3. Number-line jumps: physically hop a floor tape number-line for +2, –3, etc. |
| Parent moves | • Ask "How did you know?" after a correct answer. • Use everyday moments ("We have 7 grapes, need 10—how many more?"). |
Phase 3 – Building to 20 & Intro to Place Value (Weeks 6-8)
| Element | Details |
| Session rhythm | 3 × 20-minute sessions daily (may merge two on busy days). |
| Goals | • Add/subtract within 20 using known facts and "make-10". • Grasp that 14 = 1 ten + 4 ones. |
| Activities | 1. Base-ten blocks "build & break". 2. Place-value flip cards: swap ones to tens when > 9. 3. Quick-fire doubles & near-doubles games. |
| Parent moves | • Encourage self-checking with fingers or blocks. • Highlight tens/ones in prices, scores, etc. |
Phase 4 – Introduction to Multiplication & Division Concepts (Weeks 9-12)
| Element | Details |
| Session rhythm | 2 × 20-minute concept sessions + 1 × 15-minute fact-practice each day. |
| Goals | • Understand multiplication as equal groups; division as sharing equally. • Fluent skip-counting by 2s, 5s, 10s. |
| Activities | 1. Array building with Lego: 3 rows of 4 = 12. 2. Skip-count chants & claps. 3. "Divide the snacks" role-play (e.g., 12 crackers, 4 children). |
| Parent moves | • Link to real life—egg cartons, packs of drinks. • Keep multiplication tables song playlist handy. |
Phase 5 – Fluency & Mixed Practice (Beyond Week 12)
- Flexible scheduling: Aim for 30 minutes total per day, split as child prefers (e.g., one 30-min block or three × 10-min).
- Spiral review: Blend addition/subtraction facts, simple column addition to 99, basic times tables, and one-step word problems.
- Real-world tie-ins: Cooking measures, pocket-money budgeting, counting steps on hikes.
- Goal-setting: Together set weekly "can-do" targets (e.g., "I can add to 20 without fingers"). Celebrate with small rewards.
Progress Checks
- Weekly mini-quiz (5 questions, oral or written) – aim ≥ 80% correct.
- Monthly skills snapshot – timed facts within 10, place-value build-a-number, simple array drawing.
- Reflect & adjust: If accuracy < 70%, loop back a phase for another two weeks with additional manipulatives.
Tips for Keeping It Positive
- Mistakes = data. Treat errors as clues, not failures.
- Choice boards. Let the child pick the game/order; autonomy boosts engagement.
- Movement breaks. Ten jumping-jacks between problems can reset attention.
- Visual tracker. Sticker chart toward a non-food reward encourages consistency.
By pacing learning in bite-sized, success-focused steps and anchoring every new idea to something the child can touch, see, or use, you'll help them build genuine confidence with the building blocks of mathematics—ready for deeper topics when they're truly prepared.