Repeated-Bracket Factorising Four in a Row : Level 18 | 10 Maths Games

This ten-version Level 18 Four in a Row maths pack focuses on repeated bracket across three or more terms. Example questions include 2x(x + 4) + 3(x + 4) - y(x + 4); a(a - 2) + b(a - 2) + 5(a - 2); 4m(m + 1) - n(m + 1) + (m + 1). Ten genuinely different versions support repeat teaching, retrieval and intervention without giving pupils the identical worksheet again.

Every game contains 36 open-response questions, a shuffled 6 × 6 answer grid and a complete teacher key showing the matching grid cell and source level. Pupils calculate an answer, locate it on the board and aim to secure four adjacent cells horizontally, vertically or diagonally. The same sheet also works as a self-checking worksheet: pupils can complete the questions in order and use the answer grid for immediate feedback. There are no yes/no prompts, so success depends on carrying out the algebra accurately.

The level belongs to a deliberately structured 45-level progression. Discrete levels isolate a new technique so pupils can recognise its defining structure and practise the method without unrelated demands. Local consolidation levels then combine recently introduced forms. Full consolidation levels retain accessible earlier material alongside the current ceiling. This makes the series useful with mixed-attainment groups: less-confident pupils have valid entry points while more-secure pupils still encounter the intended upper-level questions.

Question sets vary coefficients, constants, signs, variables, question order and answer-grid positions. Answers are sufficiently varied for the board to operate as a genuine game rather than repeatedly directing pupils to a tiny collection of cells. Algebraic notation uses powers and brackets clearly, while factorised answers are presented in a consistent canonical form. The teacher key supports quick checking and makes misconceptions easier to diagnose.

Use different versions with parallel classes, allocate alternatives for homework, revisit the skill later in the term, or provide fresh practice after feedback. Print one board per pair for competitive play, provide the questions page for quiet individual work, or display selected questions for whole-class modelling. The activity needs no specialist equipment beyond pens or counters and can be stopped after an agreed time or continued until a player completes a line of four.

An included 45-level progression ladder explains the mathematical focus of every stage and shows where this product sits within the wider sequence. That overview helps teachers select the right starting point, move pupils forward in manageable steps and choose an appropriate consolidation board when fluency is insecure. It also makes the resource suitable for departmental planning, targeted catch-up and structured GCSE revision.

The clear, repeatable routine reduces explanation time and keeps attention on the mathematics.