This is a FREE background presentation to my series of Maths Starters resources. There are a number of cost effective options for purchasing these resources: - a single PowerPoint (there are 6 in the series) - a bundle of 3 PowerPoints - a mega bundle of 6 PowerPoints This is part of a set of top rated, "turbo-charged" (just take a look), self-contained (what every teacher craves), stimulating (genuinely loved by students and also great for VERY high ability students) morning starters, each with a main task, plus an extension for those who solve the challenge more quickly (this should avoid the question... "I've finished... what should I do now?"). Each challenge is self-explanatory, and should take approx. 15 - 30 minutes to investigate/solve. The tasks are presented in a visually exciting PowerPoint (which I loved creating), with a logical progression of clues guiding students towards the solution. The slides are animated where appropriate to provide clearer explanations and are designed to encourage students to adopt a "mathematical brain" (no sledgehammers allowed! - a slogan my students now associate with me!). Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY "classroom-tested" - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximize their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Teacher/Author: Barrie James Search words: math, numeracy, numbers, arithmetic, starters, challenge, brain, stimulate, problem, mental, thinking, abstract

Doodling is FAR more important than we let on.... Most of us do it at some time or other. It helps us stay alert and focused. I encourage children to doodle in a "doodle pad" at various times (e.g. when listening to a story) and to share their doodle creations with the class if they choose to. Children just LOVE doing this, and it allows them a degree of self-expression rarely found in other subjects. Give it a try - you'll be amazed! Check on youtube for loads of inspiring examples.

This is just a fun activity that should fill a spare 10 to 15 mins. Without talking, and with hands behind their backs, children must arrange themselves in order of height, shoe size, etc... A great way to explore and develop non verbal communication skills.

Having been a substitute teacher in over 200 different classes in countless schools, I have learned a thing or two over the years - really! The absolute most important is - establish your expectations right at the start. The day is then productive and enjoyable for both you and the children. I use this PowerPoint EVERY time I teach a class for the first time, or as a reminder if I am returning to a class after a period. It guides me and the class through the critical first 30 minutes of the day. Slides are accompanied with detailed Notes where appropriate to explain how the slide is best used. ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”. Before I publish, my lessons are tested in the classroom by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximise their effectiveness. Let me know if you have any questions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be).

I think this is pretty much all you'll ever need on the topic of Square Numbers - with 13 Worksheets!! It uses animated PowerPoint presentations to drive the session with links to web-based videos and music where appropriate, and is accompanied with a Workbook containing self-contained Worksheets, ordered by level of difficulty, with a separate section containing answers for teachers. ALL my postings are FULLY "classroom-tested" - I have delivered these lessons successfully on numerous occasions. Before I publish, my lessons are tested in the classroom by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated, and continually updated to maximise their effectiveness. Let me know if you have any questions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). Packages in this series: Square Numbers, Triangular Numbers Search words: maths, numeracy, numbers, square numbers, squares, sequences, patterns, worksheet

I think this is pretty much all you'll ever need on the topic of Triangular Numbers - with 11 self-contained, graded worksheets! It uses animated PowerPoint presentations to drive the session with links to web-based videos and music where appropriate, and is accompanied with a Workbook containing self-contained Worksheets, ordered by level of difficulty, with a separate section containing answers for teachers. ALL my postings are FULLY "classroom-tested" - I have delivered these lessons successfully on numerous occasions. Before I publish, my lessons are tested in the classroom by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated, and continually updated to maximize their effectiveness. Let me know if you have any questions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). Packages in this series: Square Numbers, Triangular Numbers Search words: maths, numeracy, numbers, square numbers, squares, sequences, patterns, worksheet, triangular numbers

Click here for a full listing of all my Scratch Projects In this project, the Scratch Pen is used to draw geometric shapes using Repeat blocks. There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.

Click here for a full listing of all my Scratch Projects In this project, students create their own Music Player with levels of menus for different categories of music. The corresponding music tracks can then be uploaded. There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.

This is part of a set of top rated, “turbo-charged” (just take a look), self-contained (what every teacher craves), stimulating (genuinely loved by students and also great for VERY high ability students) morning starters, each with a main task, plus an extension for those who solve the challenge more quickly (this should avoid the question… “I’ve finished… what should I do now?”). Each challenge is self-explanatory, and should take approx. 15 - 30 minutes to investigate/solve. The tasks are presented in a visually exciting PowerPoint (which I loved creating), with a logical progression of clues guiding students towards the solution. The slides are animated where appropriate to provide clearer explanations and are designed to encourage students to adopt a “mathematical brain” (no sledgehammers allowed! - a slogan my students now associate with me!). Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested�� - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximize their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Teacher/Author: Barrie James Search words: math, numeracy, numbers, arithmetic, starters, challenge, brain, stimulate, problem, mental, thinking, abstract

This is part of a set of top rated, “turbo-charged” (just take a look), self-contained (what every teacher craves), stimulating (genuinely loved by students and also great for VERY high ability students) morning starters, each with a main task, plus an extension for those who solve the challenge more quickly (this should avoid the question… “I’ve finished… what should I do now?”). Each challenge is self-explanatory, and should take approx. 15 - 30 minutes to investigate/solve. The tasks are presented in a visually exciting PowerPoint (which I loved creating), with a logical progression of clues guiding students towards the solution. The slides are animated where appropriate to provide clearer explanations and are designed to encourage students to adopt a “mathematical brain” (no sledgehammers allowed! - a slogan my students now associate with me!). Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested” - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximize their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Teacher/Author: Barrie James Search words: math, numeracy, numbers, arithmetic, starters, challenge, brain, stimulate, problem, mental, thinking, abstract

*** NEWLY UPDATED *** Punctuation covered: Capital letters and proper nouns Capital letters and full stops (periods)* - Punctuation - consolidation exercises Sentence endings: exclamation marks and question marks Commas* - Punctuation - consolidation exercises Apostrophes for contraction and omission* Apostrophes for possession Apostrophes - its and it’s Direct speech - sentences Direct speech - paragraphs Indirect speech - sentences Indirect speech - paragraphs Parentheses - brackets* Parentheses - dashes* - Punctuation - consolidation exercises Hyphens* Semi colons* Colons Comma splices - Punctuation - consolidation exercises *includes entertaining video files Having seen so, so many worksheets on punctuation, I finally decided to create this 25 page pack - based on cherry picking and then adapting the best ideas from countless text books and worksheets. It covers a range of the punctuation used up to Year 6 and provides succinct definitions and plenty of varied practice for each topic. Mastering punctuation is essentially practice, practice, practice… we all have able Year 6 children who simply forget basic capital letters and full stops (periods)! So these worksheets, a real labor of love, are designed to provide this essential practice. Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested” - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximize their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Teacher/Author: Barrie James Keywords: punctuation capital letters proper nouns periods exclamation marks question marks commas apostrophes contraction omission possession direct speech indirect speech parentheses brackets dashes hyphens semi-colon colon its it’s

A FREE sampler of my Maths Starters resources. There are a number of cost effective options for purchasing these resources: - a bundle of 3 PowerPoints - a mega bundle of all 6 PowerPoints This is part of a set of top rated, “turbo-charged” (just take a look), self-contained (what every teacher craves), stimulating (genuinely loved by students and also great for VERY high ability students) morning starters, each with a main task, plus an extension for those who solve the challenge more quickly (this should avoid the question… “I’ve finished… what should I do now?”). Each challenge is self-explanatory, and should take approx. 15 - 30 minutes to investigate/solve. The tasks are presented in a visually exciting PowerPoint (which I loved creating), with a logical progression of clues guiding students towards the solution. The slides are animated where appropriate to provide clearer explanations and are designed to encourage students to adopt a “mathematical brain” (no sledgehammers allowed! - a slogan my students now associate with me!). Let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and a BIG BIG thanks for looking (as a full time practicing teacher, I KNOW how time consuming this process can be). ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested” - before I publish, my lessons are tested by both myself and colleagues, rigorously evaluated and discussed, and continually updated to maximize their effectiveness. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so do please provide constructive feedback. Teacher/Author: Barrie James

There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project Lessons in the series: FREE introduction to Scratch. Moving a sprite through a maze. A question and answer type quiz. A game where students move a sight with the mouse to shoot ghosts. A Music Player with layers of menus. Simulates a toy bear with touch pads. Drawing shapes and repeating patterns. Alien spacecraft attack a base that must be defended. An Octopus must swim through walls of hungry sharks. Navigate through different worlds Bundle I-III Bundle IV-VI Bundle VII-IX Bundle I-IX ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.

There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project Lessons in the series: FREE introduction to Scratch. Moving a sprite through a maze. A question and answer type quiz. A game where students move a sight with the mouse to shoot ghosts. A Music Player with layers of menus. Simulates a toy bear with touch pads. Drawing shapes and repeating patterns. Alien spacecraft attack a base that must be defended. An Octopus must swim through walls of hungry sharks. Navigate through different worlds Bundle I-III Bundle IV-VI Bundle VII-IX Bundle I-IX ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.

Click here for a full listing of all my Scratch Projects In this project, students create a toy bear, using sprites to simulate “touch pads” -making the bear smile, blink, change colour, etc. Enhancements include using the keyboard instead of sprites, and adding sound. There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.

The Scratch 3 version is here. Click here for a full listing of all my Scratch Projects In this project, students create a question and answer quiz using different backdrops for each question. There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.

The Scratch 3 version is here. Click here for a full listing of all my Scratch Projects In this project, students use the mouse to move a target across the screen to shoot ghosts. The coding makes it easy to add any number of ghosts, varying their size and speed, There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.

The Scratch 3 version is here. Click here for a full listing of all my Scratch Projects In this project, the player must move a sprite through the maze using the keyboard. Timers, obstacles (floating sprites) and a more difficult maze can be added as enhancements . There are many sites offering Scratch Projects. However, many tend to be like recipes - students almost mechanically enter code and create “delicious cakes”, without learning a lot about Scratch. My goal is to get students to create a fun project, and at the same time learn how the instructions work and fit together. I use the following approach: - break the project into manageable chunks - present “pseudo-code” for each chunk - provide the Scratch commands to implement the pseudo-code, but jumbled up In this way, students learn about pseudo-code (an important part of coding), and have to understand the Scratch instructions in order to sequence them correctly to match the pseudo-code. The lessons comprise: 1. a PowerPoint with instructions 2. a Word document with the instruction slides printed 2 to a page as a handout 3. accompanying Scratch files for teachers that match each stage of the project ALL my postings are FULLY “classroom-tested”, and continually updated. But there is always the possibility of error and room for improvement, so please provide constructive feedback.