Small discoveries, together
Help your child feel
at home with maths.
Free maths help for parents of children aged 4–11: clear examples, things to try together and questions that get children explaining their thinking. Choose a school year or start with a number game below.
Find a starting point by school year
These year groups refer to England. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different curricula. Children learn at different paces, so use the topics to choose a comfortable starting point and check your school’s approach.
Year 1 maths →
number bonds, counting and everyday games
Ages 6–7Year 2 maths →
equal groups, place value and times tables
Ages 7–8Year 3 maths →
addition strategies, multiplication and fractions
Ages 8–9Year 4 maths →
times tables and fractions of amounts
Ages 9–10Year 5 maths →
decimals, fractions and place value
Ages 10–11Year 6 maths →
ratio, reasoning and preparing for secondary school
Try a maths idea together
How many ways can you make ten?
Move the slider to split ten counters into two groups. Notice how one group grows as the other shrinks.
6 + 4 = 10
Ask: “If we move one counter to the orange group, what happens to the green group?” You can play the same game with ten blocks on a table.
Not sure where to begin?
For ages 4–5: count small collections, sort toys and talk about more, fewer and the same. Try the number game with five objects before moving to ten. You can explore the Year 1 examples when they feel comfortable.
If homework is confusing: ask your child to show the method their teacher uses. Our maths homework guide explains number lines, partitioning and bar models.
If times tables need practice: start with equal groups, then work towards recall. Use the Year 2 array example and our times tables guide.
If fractions feel abstract: draw equal parts and name the whole. Try three quarters of twenty with blocks before writing the calculation.
Keep the conversation manageable
Pick one small idea and ask “How did you work that out?” Give your child time to move objects, draw or explain. If frustration builds, pause and return to something familiar another day. The activities here are suggestions to adapt to your family.
For persistent difficulties, bring a specific example to your child’s teacher and ask which foundation to practise next. These guides are not an assessment of your child.
Find more family activities from National Numeracy, or read how we prepare our guides.