Multiplication & Division Problems

Engaging young minds in Key Stage 1 with mathematical problem-solving, a series of exercises is designed to teach students the concepts of doubling and halving through practical examples. In one activity, children are presented with a scenario where a character thinks of a number, doubles it twice, and ends up with 20, prompting them to work backwards to find the original number. Another similar task involves halving a number twice to reach 6, again asking students to deduce the starting figure. These exercises encourage the use of jottings to track their thought process and to observe patterns, enhancing their understanding of basic multiplication and division.

The problem-solving continues with real-world applications, such as purchasing buttons that come on cards of 4 or 2. Milly needs a specific number of buttons, and students must figure out the possible combinations of cards she could buy. Another scenario involves counting sweets on cakes, where each cake has either 3 or 4 sweets on top. Students must determine the number of each type of cake needed to reach a total number of sweets. These tasks not only reinforce mathematical operations but also help children develop reasoning skills and an understanding of how maths can be applied to everyday situations.