Max Maths, Year 3, Learn together, Halving and doubling odd and even numbers (1)

In the Max Maths Year 3 curriculum, students are introduced to the concepts of halving and doubling odd and even numbers. This particular lesson focuses on how to mentally manipulate these numbers, which is a fundamental skill in developing arithmetic fluency. One of the exercises involves a character named Jade, who demonstrates how to double odd numbers in her head. For example, she takes the odd number 23 and breaks it down into 2 tens (20) and 3 ones. To double the number, she simply doubles each part separately: 20 becomes 40 (double the tens), and 3 becomes 6 (double the ones). By combining these doubled parts, Jade finds that 23 doubled is 46, which is an even number.

The lesson provides a clear illustration of the process: 23 is broken down into 20 + 3, and then each component is doubled to 20 + 20 and 3 + 3. Adding these doubled figures together, students can see that the sum is 40 + 6, which equals 46. This exercise not only helps students understand how to double numbers but also reinforces the concept that doubling an odd number will result in an even number. Through this method, students learn to visualise and calculate doubled numbers mentally, a skill that underpins their mathematical development and problem-solving abilities.