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For younger learners

  • Early Years Foundation Stage

Exploring Factors and Multiples

Developing children's number sense is key to their success as young mathematicians. In this feature for Primary teachers, we bring together tasks which encourage learners to play with factors and multiples in particular. This exploration will help build children's 'feel' for numbers as they gain a deeper understanding of the properties of numbers, and the relationships between them.

You can watch a recording of the webinar in which we discussed the mathematical thinking which can be prompted by these problems.

Playing with Factors and Multiples

Age 5 to 11
This article for primary teachers outlines why developing an intuitive 'feel' for numbers matters, and how our activities focusing on factors and multiples can help.

Using Books: The Doorbell Rang

Age 3 to 5
In this activity, the book 'The Doorbell Rang' by Pat Hutchins provides an engaging context in which children can explore sharing.

Largest Even

Live
Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star
How would you create the largest possible two-digit even number from the digit I've given you and one of your choice?

Tables Teaser

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow star
How will you work out which numbers have been used to create this multiplication square?

Light the Lights

Age 5 to 7
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star
Investigate which numbers make these lights come on. What is the smallest number you can find that lights up all the lights?

Dicey Array

Age 5 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star
Watch the video of this game being played. Can you work out the rules? Which dice totals are good to get, and why?

Light the Lights Again

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow starYellow star
Each light in this interactivity turns on according to a rule. What happens when you enter different numbers? Can you find the smallest number that lights up all four lights?

Dozens

Age 7 to 14
Challenge Level Yellow star
Can you select the missing digit(s) to find the largest multiple?
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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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