Algebra - Find pairs of values (1) - Starter

In this Year 6 mathematics session, part of the Spring Term curriculum, students are challenged with a series of tasks designed to strengthen their fluency in arithmetic and introduce them to basic algebraic concepts. The 'Fluent in Four' revision segment encourages rapid mental arithmetic, with problems such as dividing 406 by 7, doubling the number 4, and adjusting a number by tens and ones. Students are also asked to divide a large number—304,000—by 10, 100, and 1,000, honing their understanding of place value and the effects of division on a number's magnitude.

Further exercises focus on decimal place values, where students must identify a number represented on a place value chart and then calculate a slightly smaller number by subtracting two hundredths or three tenths. The culmination of the session involves solving an algebraic equation, 7 + 6a = 55. Students are guided through the process of isolating the variable 'a' using inverse operations—subtracting 7 from both sides of the equation and then dividing by 6—to find the value of 'a'. Bar models are suggested as a visual aid to help students understand the steps taken to solve the equation, reinforcing their comprehension of algebraic manipulation.