Making sense of ‘x’

Making sense of ‘x’ - building multiplication fluency in LKS2

ARCHIVED 14/3/23

Project focus:

Are you worried that many of your Lower Key Stage 2 (LKS2) children just cannot seem to learn their multiplication facts? The Herts for Learning - Making sense of ‘x’ research project aims to measure the impact of providing children with a progressive pathway through multiplication concepts such as group structure, co-ordinating units, associative and distributive law. Between March 2019 and February 2020, over 250 pupils from 45 schools from Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire participated in the Making sense of ‘x’ research project. The project incorporates strategies such as skip counting, number pattern recognition and control of the array.

Alongside delegates from our pilot project our Primary mathematics advisers have refined a diagnostic assessment and developed a range of proven teaching resources. During the pilot project, results demonstrate that children’s multiplication understanding has increased as a result. The gap between children with less confidence in multiplication and those who were confident closed by the end of the project.

Teacher quote from the Pilot project

'It has changed the way I approach multiplication. I plan to build in a lot more multiplicative work throughout the year next year to help build knowledge, understanding and confidence. I will definitely use a lot of the resources and activities one again in my everyday practice. I also think the assessment tasks and the ideas for building and tracking through each skill will definitely come in useful.'

Three advisers from the HfL Primary mathematics team lead the project: Charlie Harber, Rachel Rayner and Rachael Brown.

Project design:

Following the success of the project we are now looking to recruit schools in Hertfordshire and surrounding counties for the summer term 2020.

Given the timing within the school year in cohort 4, we are keen to run the project with Year 3 pupils to equip them with the multiplicative understanding needed for the Year 4 mathematics curriculum and beyond.

Participating schools will be required to identify a LKS2 teacher and a nominated project lead who can commit to the following activities -

1. One central training day for two delegates.

2. Baseline assessment of 6 children using the HfL Multiplication fluency check and submit data.

3. Up to two hours consultancy support in participant schools.

4. A half-day cluster meeting/training (twilight session).

5. Impact assessment of six children using the HfL Multiplication fluency check and submit data

6. Advisers diagnosis of gaps and barriers for children as well as impact assessed at the beginning and end of the project

Now recruiting for cohort 4 (summer 2020):

The launch day of our fourth cohort will be held at the Hertfordshire Development Centre on Wednesday 6th May 2020, with a follow up in-school consultancy visit taking place just before or after May half-term.

Schools interested in joining or finding further details are invited to email nimblemaths@hfleducation.org