Children engage with pictures much more readily than they do with words and numbers; after all, their brains have been processing images as long as they have been able to see, while words and numbers are relatively new concepts. That’s why the best primary teaching resources have a strong visual element. Easily recognisable pictures children can relate to are used to teach numeracy in a fun manner.

Currency is taught by using cards showing sweets; each individual sweet represents an individual unit, boxes of sweets stand for tens and jars of sweets symbolise hundreds. It’s a whole lot less dry than talking about pence pounds. Almost all young children of primary school age won't ever have managed significant amounts of money, however they can be only too familiar with counting out and eying up sweets. These sweet cards were the very first, but now there are a number of Place Value card sets, using distinctive entertaining metaphors to teach practical mathematical skills.

Fractions are explained through commonly divisible items including pizzas, pies, puddings and tarts. Different sets enable the same subjects to be taught but with slightly different focus, making sure that children can separate and identify the discrete jobs involved in more elaborate sums (e.g. facts to 10 can be taught in several ways with Digit Pop Ups, Busy Boats, Zillions, Wish Fish and Lady Bugs). The Monster Number Line goes further, teaching numbers as high as 30, 50 or even 100 depending on the abilities and understanding of the children.

Many teachers find it particularly difficult to get boys to engage in the classroom. X-Planes help explain (geddit?) early years maths concepts such as number lines and missing numbers. Footie Facts ensure the attention of so many young boys.

The Multiplication Rainbow has been a particular success. The Multiplication Rainbow was designed a more interesting and enagging alternatie to the classic multiplication table. Numbers are arranged along arcs of the rainbow, rather than in rows and columns. The reverse is left blank so the children can fill it in themselves.

Both adults and children do some of their best learning when they don’t even realise they ARE learning. Playground Pictures mean the learning experience can continue een during back times. External PVC wall pictures put across important literacy or numeracy information in a friendly and unobtrusie manner. Available pictures include rabbits, stars and flowers. They sit well in gardens and playgrounds, and are easily fixed to walls or fences.

Most importantly, these products are supposed to make Maths fun. Ideas which may appear all to easy to adults need a great deal of memorisation from a child. Using enjoyable, relatable concepts makes that job far less difficult for them.