Primary maths
Primary maths lessons, Primary 1 to 6
The years where maths either starts to make sense or starts to feel hard. Lessons for primary school children at our Uyo centre or live online, beginning with a free assessment of where your child is now.
Why primary maths matters so much
Secondary maths is built on primary maths. A child who is unsure about place value, times tables or fractions in Primary 5 meets the same ideas again inside algebra in JSS 1.
Our lessons find the idea that is not yet secure, teach it properly, and give your child enough practice for it to stick. Then we move forward with their schoolwork.
What we cover at each stage
Primary 1 to 3
The foundations
- Counting, reading and writing numbers, and place value
- Addition and subtraction, then multiplication and division
- Number facts and times tables, practised until they come quickly
- Money, time and simple measurement
- Shapes, and reading simple charts
- Word problems: working out which sum the question is asking for
Primary 4 to 6
Using numbers with confidence
- Long multiplication and long division
- Fractions, decimals and percentages, and moving between them
- Factors, multiples, LCM and HCF
- Measurement: length, mass, capacity, perimeter and area
- Money problems and everyday calculations
- Multi step word problems, with the working written out
Every school orders topics a little differently. Send us your child's scheme of work or a recent exercise book page, and the lessons will follow what their class is doing.
Signs your child could use some help
Counting on fingers
Still needed for simple sums in upper primary.
Avoiding homework
Maths homework is left until last, or not started without you.
Right sums, wrong answers
They can do the calculation, but cannot tell which one a word problem needs.
"I'm not good at maths"
A child who has decided this early needs a few wins to change their mind.
How a primary lesson runs
Sixty minutes, one to one or in a small group, at the Uyo centre or live online. Younger children learning online need a parent or carer nearby to help with the setup.
Want to help between lessons? Read our guide on how to help your child with fractions at home.
Inside a session
What the hour looks like
1
Warm up
Five minutes on last week's topic, to check it stayed.
2
Teach
The new idea, worked on screen, slowly, with the learner talking through each step.
3
Try together
They lead, the tutor watches. Mistakes here are the point of the lesson.
4
Try alone
Questions from the worksheet, in their exercise book, camera on the page.
5
Set and send
Homework set, and a short note to the parent on how it went.
Inside PADESS
Watch a primary maths lesson
Short videos from our classes. See the idea first, then learn the method: that is how every lesson here works.
Questions about primary maths lessons
Can you prepare my child for Common Entrance?
We can help with the maths. NECO's National Common Entrance Examination, taken in Primary 6 for entry into Federal Unity Colleges, includes Mathematics and Quantitative Aptitude. Tell us the exam date and we will plan practice around it.
What age do primary maths lessons start?
We teach from Primary 1, and we also run early years maths for younger children. Tell us your child's class and we will suggest a starting point.
Can you help with my child's school homework?
Yes. Homework shows us what the class is doing. The lesson helps your child understand it so they can do the work themselves.
Can a young child learn maths online?
Yes, with a parent or carer nearby to help with the setup. Lessons run on Zoom, and your child writes in their own exercise book.
Is one to one or a small group better for my child?
It depends on your child. One to one suits a child who needs to catch up or is shy to ask questions. A small group suits a child who works well alongside others. We can talk it through after the assessment.
Start with a free maths assessment
Find out where your child needs support, and talk the next step through with a tutor.