Understanding fractions, decimals and percentages is vital for adult life - and not just for ensuring that you get the right discount at the shops. Here are 10 ways to make sure it all adds up for students.
1. Soap stars
What is it? A PowerPoint that helps students to calculate the yearly income of a character from BBC soap opera EastEnders
What users say “Excellent resource for my functional skills group of 16-year-olds”; “Relevant and well-presented.”
bit.lyEastender
2. Total recall
What is it? A collective memory activity for introducing or revising equivalent fractions and simplifying them
What users say “Really like the idea of children having to collaborate and then find the mistake”; “What a great idea.”
bit.lyGroupFraction
3. Game of chance
What is it? A unit of work from the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching, including an activity that compares the National Lottery to Premium Bonds
What users say “Wow! What a wonderfully organised and useful set of resources ... Keep up the good work”; “I am so very impressed and happy to have found such great resources.”
bit.lyMathsLottery
4. Just a fraction
What is it? An activity that develops understanding of the equivalence of fractions and their position on the number line
What users say “Love this idea. This has been thoughtfully designed to get students engaged with key ideas about fractions at a range of levels.”
bit.lyComparing
5. Eat my sums
What is it? A simple lesson using characters from The Simpsons to explain how to add and subtract decimals
What users say “A quick and to-the-point beginning to what can be a very dry topic”; “Wonderful resource that allows for discussion and clarification.”
bit.lySimpsonsSums
6. In the loop
What is it? A simple, effective game that can engage even the most reluctant of students and highlights any misconceptions
What users say “Great to have found a loopy game for fractions”; “My class loved it.”
bit.lyLoopGame
7. Millionaire maths
What is it? A game for revising fractions, decimals and percentages based on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
What users say “Brilliant - covers everything”; “The students love it.”
bit.lyMathsMillionaires
8. Fractions first
What is it? Worksheets, ideas and assessments for introducing fractions to 11- and 12-year-olds
What users say “Excellent”; “Some really nice ideas ... The activities PDF is definitely worth having a look at.”
bit.lyFindFractions
9. Spot the mistake
What is it? A worksheet of 10 fraction calculations, including some mistakes and inefficient solutions. Students work together to identify the errors
What users say “Ideal for making students take note of written methods”; “Excellent resource to help develop students’ awareness of mistakes.”
bit.lyErrorSpotting
10. Percentage points
What is it? A quiz that tests students’ understanding of how to work out percentages without a calculator
What users say “Something different - better than the usual maths quizzes”; “Great resource. My classes all enjoyed it.”
bit.lyPercentageQuiz.
