First Published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor and Francis, an informa company.

The activities in this book are designed both to help children to learn and to understand math concepts, and also to prepare them for taking SATS papers at KS2. There is plenty of research evidence to suggest that children are helped in their understanding of math problems if teachers focus on common misconceptions, and if children are given opportunities for discussion and explanation of their own understanding. Children can also feel stigmatized by being made to focus on their own errors.

Mike Spooner has developed activities that present already completed work which children then assess, correct and discuss - in this way they can analyze mistakes without damage to their own self-esteem. The activities are presented in the same format as the SATS papers, to give children practice in coping with that format. The book also contains writing frames that children can use to structure their discussions of math problems.

This book is designed to help coordinators and teachers of mathematics in primary schools to plan and develop an appropriate, differentiated scheme of mental mathematics activity to support numeracy and other mathematical work throughout the primary years.

Moving beyond simplistic notions of recall and memorizing, the authors explore: the multi-dimensional range of mental mathematics, the various representations and images that assist learning and the development of language to promote the discussion of mathematical ideas. For non-specialist mathematicians and students in training the book provides a resource bank of ideas to help pupils to become efficient 'in-head' workers, as promoted in the National Numeracy Strategy. Each chapter discusses the context and theory underlying particular aspects of work before setting out a range of suggested activities for each year group.

The activities in this book are designed both to help children to learn and to understand math concepts, and also to prepare them for taking SATS papers at KS2. There is plenty of research evidence to suggest that children are helped in their understanding of math problems if teachers focus on common misconceptions, and if children are given opportunities for discussion and explanation of their own understanding. Children can also feel stigmatized by being made to focus on their own errors. Mike Spooner has developed activities that present already completed work which children then assess, correct and discuss - in this way they can analyze mistakes without damage to their own self-esteem. The activities are presented in the same format as the SATS papers, to give children practice in coping with that format. The book also contains writing frames that children can use to structure their discussions of math problems.