singapore math blog

After searching through a plethera of online resources for my math classroom (typically littered with ads and distracting animations), I stumbled upon MathsFrame, an amazing teacher-created resource used in UK classrooms and interactive whiteboard-ready. MathsFrame has various practice applications across the primary grades with a few that allow for mental math practice…a skill that can be refined throughout the year. More from MathsFrame in my follow-up post featuring problem-solving related activities.

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Try Number Pairs (sum of 10) by clicking on the image below. You have the ability to change levels (number pairs to 10, 20, 50 or 100; number pairs that sum a random 2-digit number; multiples of 10 that sum 100).

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The Caroll diagram format for Finding Multiples allows students to select from a few numbers to determine if they are a multiple or are not a multiple of a chosen number (2 through 10 and combinations of two numbers).

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This Missing Digits resource is for multiplication only. You can choose from a variety of multipliers and multi-digit numbers. This activity helps students extend mental methods for whole-number calculations. For example, to multiply a two-digit by a one-digit number (e.g. 12 × 9) would support the thinking behind multiplication by 25 (e.g. 12 × 25).

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The MathsFrame application Partitioning is another name for expanded form. You can choose whole numbers or decimals and alternate patterns for partitioning numbers.

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After drawing thousands of timelines on my whiteboard only to regret erasing minutes later, I became a fan of the MathsFrame activity, Timetable. Here, students are given a variety of real-world problems related to time and can practice reading a time table, calculating change in time (multiples of 5) and more challenging difference in time calculations on a timeline as shown below. The situation captured below is a three-step problem with the first two increments on the timeline already answered correctly.

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MathsFrame applications are comprised of a simple layout with a soft aqua background and large pieces for dragging and dropping. Timers and scorekeepers can be turned off (for most activities). This site does not store scores or data. Fortunately, there is no background music. However, the program will play a sound when a student completes a round or drops an item in the appropriate space.

Technical Requirements: Need to know how to drag-and-drop using a mouse or IWB pen.
Requires some mental math strategies, but keeping a number bond mat and counters nearby can help students get there!

Tips: When using place-value applications, H stands for hundreds. T is for tens. U is for units, or ones.