What's included in the Mental Strategies Varied Fluency resource and why is it useful?

Year 5 Mental Strategies Varied Fluency is a set of worksheets during the Try it/You do section of your maths lesson. Each set has been carefully designed to help you meet each child where they are at to ensure progress for every child, not just the average child. The content includes a knowledge organiser for Mental Strategies and 4 levelled worksheets covering adding and subtracting numbers mentally with increasingly large numbers.

Knowledge Organiser

• Designed to support all children via key information and examples.

Scaffolded Examples

• Using a known number fact to add multiples of 10, 100 and 1,000, adding on a place value chart and adjusting with sentence stems.

Support

• Q1: Use a known number fact to add multiples of 10, 100 and 1,000; the first calculation is given.

• Q2: Add or subtract two place value columns on a place value chart; the steps are given.

• Q3: Add or subtract 999 on a number line; each step set out.

Core

• Q1: Use a known number fact to add or subtract multiples of 1,000, 10,000 and 100,000.

• Q2: Add or subtract three place value columns on a place value chart.

• Q3: Add or subtract 999 on a number line; start and end number given; adjusting shown.

Stretch

• Q1: Complete calculations with multiples of 10,000; no fact is given.

• Q2: Add or subtract three place value columns, written digits.

• Q3: Adjust a number close to a multiple of 1,000 by more than 1; no end number given.

How do our varied fluency resources work?

Our varied fluency resources are not just about differentiation, but differentiation in an adaptive way. They work best alongside our teaching PowerPoints, which walk you through the whole lesson along with other lesson resources that you can find on our Mental Strategies lesson page.

• After completing the main teaching of the Teaching PowerPoint (PPT), teachers assess whether children are ready to access their Varied Fluency worksheet or require support from the Scaffolded Examples sheet, based on how they have performed during the Model it (I do) / Practise it (We do) / Try it (You do) sequence.

• If any children need additional support, they can use the Scaffolded Examples sheet. This gives children the opportunity to secure key skills required for the Varied Fluency worksheet before they move on to it. The Scaffolded Examples sheet is designed to be completed as a group with a classroom adult.

• If children do not need the Scaffolded Examples, they can progress straight to a Varied Fluency worksheet suited to their level of understanding.

• Most children will use the Core sheet for their Varied Fluency practice.

• Some children may need the Support sheet. This is designed to be used after the Scaffolded Examples sheet, but some children might access this sheet without having used that scaffold.

• Some children may need additional challenge; the Stretch sheet will deepen their understanding of the core content.

Adaptive Maths Resources are not a separate lower-attainment route. They provide temporary and responsive support to help pupils access the same intended learning.

This resource is designed to align to White Rose Maths version 3. Classroom Secrets Limited is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way connected to White Rose Education Limited. Our products are original to Classroom Secrets Limited and any reference to White Rose Maths is solely for the purpose of indicating compatibility and does not imply any association with White Rose Education.