Mental Oral Starters

Mental Oral Starters Y3 Spring Teaching Sequence 9

Activity 1

Objective: Double 2-digit numbers, add any pair of 2-digit numbers

Resources: Whiteboards and pens or paper and pencils, plus a 3-minute egg timer

· Spilt the class into two teams and name these Tigers and Lions.

· Write 121, 232, 343, 454 on the board.

· Explain that each child can work alone or with a partner in their team.

· They have to make one of the numbers on the board using ONLY doubling and adding. They are not allowed to use a multiple of ten in their calculation! (They could make 121 by: double 45 add 31. Or double 52 add 17. They may not use double 50 add 21.)

· Each team will get ten points for each way of making any one of the target numbers.

· Give the children 3 minutes (use an egg timer).

· After three minutes. Take feedback, checking different ways of making each target number.

· The winning team is the one that gets the most correct sums.

Activity 2

Objective: Know addition facts to every number up to 10

Resources: Number fans for each child

· Start by showing the children how we can show two numbers using the number fan, e.g. 4 and 6.

· Ask each child to show two numbers that add up to 10. Look around and note how many different ways there are.

· Now ask children to show two numbers that add up to 5. Look around.

o How many ways this time?

· Repeat, asking the children to show two numbers making 8, etc.

· Gradually increase the pace and then choose different children to pick the starting number, the rest of the class then makes the numbers to create that total.

Activity 3

Objective: Recall multiplication facts of the 2, 5 and 10 times table

Resources: Large number cards 1-12 and a toy cat (or similar)!

· Organise children into a circle.

· Spread the number cards in order on the carpet in the middle of the circle.

· Say a multiple of 5 e.g. 30, then choose a child to place the cat on the number that 5 has to be multiplied by to give 30, i.e. 6.

· Repeat using other times tables and multiples and even division facts!

Activity 4

Objective: Recognise multiples of 2, 5 and 10

Resources: IWB calculator, whiteboards

· Prepare for this activity by finding out how to use the constant function on the calculator. This activity needs the calculator to be set to generate the multiples of 2, 5 or 10 (or any other multiples you may be practising).

· Press the ‘clear all’ key. To generate the multiples of 5;

o Either: press 5 + + = and then keep pressing the equal key.

o Or: press + 5 = and then keep pressing the equal key.

· Explain and show the children how the constant function works. (This usually shows as a small ‘k’ on the calculator.)

· Show children the zero on the calculator screen and then cover it up. Then press the equal button 4 times and show the product 20. Children either say or write the multiplication fact.

· Start by using one table (say) x5 to get children used to the format.

· Then increase the demand by including other multiples, e.g. x3 and x4.

· The activity could be extended by giving pairs of children a calculator. Say that they must select one of (say) 4 sets of multiples and they repeat the activity, setting up mystery numbers for each other.

Activity 5

Objective: Recognise multiples of 2, 5 and 10

Resources: ITP Function blocks (see resources)

· The ITP can be used in a variety of ways. In the picture below it has been set up so that the function is hidden. The input or output could be hidden to practise the same facts in a variety of ways.

· Enter different multipliers and continue to practise.