Time - Writing the time - Starter

In a Year 2 classroom, during the Summer Term's eighth week, students engage with the concept of time and basic arithmetic as part of their daily starter activities. The 'Fluent in Four' revision exercise is designed to warm up their mathematical skills by combining simple addition problems with the practical task of telling time. The children begin by solving straightforward addition problems such as "Twenty-six add thirty-eight" and "3 + 8 + 4", enhancing their mental maths capabilities. They are then asked to apply their understanding of time by drawing the hands on a clock to represent "Half past 8" and "Twenty past three", which helps to solidify their ability to read and interpret analogue clocks.

Further reinforcing their arithmetic skills, the students complete a model consisting of four number sentences, filling in the blanks to find the sums and components of given numbers. This exercise not only practices addition but also encourages the understanding of the commutative property of addition, as they see that the order of numbers does not affect the sum. The activity extends to an observation task where students are prompted to notice patterns in the number of circles, which leads to a discussion about halves and wholes. This multifaceted approach to learning combines numerical operations with the practical application of telling time, fostering a comprehensive understanding of foundational maths concepts.