Step 6 Objective
Consolidate and extend mental methods of calculation, working with decimals, fractions and percentages, squares and square roots, cubes and cube roots: solve word problems mentally.
- Examples of what pupils should
know and be able to do - Probing questions
- What if pupils find
this a barrier?
Examples of what pupils should know and be able to do
Use known facts such as 
= 0.125 to convert fractions to decimals mentally,
for example:
= 0.125 × 5 = 0.625
Use mental strategies for calculating fractions and percentages, for example:
of 20
- 35% of 40
Use mental skills to solving simple problems, for example:
- A person's heart beats 70 times in a minute. How many times does it beat in an hour?
- Two years ago Jim was 1.48 metres tall. Now Jim's height is 1.7 metres. How much has Jim grown?