When should we start Maths preparation?

Maths skills can be developed during years three, four and five. During years three and four parents should focus making sure times tables are absolutely solid and that children have a good grasp of the four operations at a suitable level of complexity.

Maths is a subject where children need plenty of practical question exercises to embed understanding and aid development. There are plenty of good materials to aid development during years three or four included in the Forum areas.

We would specifically not recommend doing timed tests too early, especially not 11 Plus maths tests. Children should only do timed tests involving questions where knowledge is already sound. If a child does not have a sound grasp of a particular topic it is likely to throw out the timings on the whole and lead to unintended consequential failure on other question areas where in fact knowledge is sound. Typically research has shown that children only get a finite benefit from doing timed tests. If a child does ten to twelve timed Maths tests in the three months before their test then you are likely to have already got maximum benefit from it. Timed tests have value but don’t overdo it.

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