Number Sense Maths

NSM Number Facts: Systematic teaching of addition and subtraction grid facts and 12 calculation strategies.

Prompted by the @rastokke Chalk and Talk episode with Dr Pamela Snow Using evidence in education with Pamela Snow (Ep 27) | Chalk & Talk (podbean.com), we have blogged on one of the many parallels between reading and number fact instruction numbersensemaths.com/blog-an…

I hope that helps understand the difference. It's always v helpful hearing these kind of discussions from people using the programmes and helps craft future developments so thank you.

We haven't entirely ruled out adding some booklets to our KS1 programme, but they would be shorter, and would probably be for once a week practice, supporting what has been taught in the sessions that week.

Having said that, we are reviewing parts of number facts, based on what we have learnt from times tables, and are about to publish some targeted support "keep up" cards to give extra practice for some children akin to what a phonics programme would provide.

Because the amount of independent retrieval practice needed for our times table approach is so significant, the booklets are the key tool to support recall. In our number facts the animations are. There isn't the need for as much "working through sheets".

If a child doesn't yet know what 4 + 3 is, we would say "We know that 3 + 3 is 6. Can you use that to help your work out 4 + 3?". But if they don't yet know 4 x 3, in our programme we would say "I want you to say four threes are twelve out loud and repeat it 5 times"

The way children become fluent in additive facts is different. We don't take a rote learning approach. We reason about structures and relationships, and discuss how we can use what we know to work out what we don't yet know.

But children don't come to learn the facts through discussion. They learn the facts through saying them lots of times.

In a times tables session, the children work independently on their own booklet and there isn't much (or sometimes any) discussion of the structures. We do that in the intro lesson and end of unit activities.

Our times tables programme teaches recall through a verbal memory approach - a cycle of oral rehearsal (chanting the facts) and retreival (recalling them, or copying off a display if the children don't yet know them). The booklets are the vehicle for this.

First of all thank you so much @LTeacher123 for your kind words. We are DELIGHTED it has worked so well for you. Re the conversation below, yes there is a reason for the difference which this diagram attempts to illustrate.

Nearly there! Really hope the display has been motivating for the children and made it all feel achievable for them. Thank you so much for sharing :)

numbersensemaths.com/ttf Written by teachers for teachers - focused on getting EVERY child factually fluent within a whole class setting. Highly prescriptive if that is what you are after!

The display shows the children how quickly they are building up fluency in the 36 facts they need to know, and also provides a reference point for them to read not-yet-known facts from. It is updated as each new tt is introduced More info here numbersensemaths.com/ttf

You will I promise! There are some other tips in here on making sure MTC scores fully reflect the children's tt knowledge numbersensemaths.com/blog-an…

Sooo pleased to hear it. Hopefully you have seen pupils who might not previously have learnt their times tables doing really well with it. The chn who thrive with it never cease to amaze me, and it makes me sad that for so long I was told that some chn will never learn tts :(

Thank you @LTeacher123 for sharing! Display is an essential part of our approach. Either a fact is in our head, or on the wall. Amazingly after just 3 times tables (2, square & 5) this class will know over half the 36 facts. It shows the chn just how well they are doing.

If you are after a really effective whole class approach to teach times tables to fluency for all children, sign up for our free introductory session this Thursday at 4pm. Programme is taught from January of Year 3. numbersensemaths.com/trainin…

Really excited to see our Times Table Fluency programme out there. Hope the session prompted a great TRG discussion. Such a rich PD model.