The Deconstructing Word Questions eBooks are Y2-Y6 because I wouldn't spend the same degree of time teaching word questions in Y1. However, there are a number of prompts to help children to understand context questions in the new I See Reasoning - Y1 (out on Sunday).

I See Reasoning for Y1 (365 prompts) and Y2 (392 prompts) is out SUNDAY 23rd NOVEMBER! Lots of techniques, including a huge emphasis on visuals as the basis for reasoning. More details to come this week!

Only 11 days to go! The aim: build understanding, start conversations, generate curiosity and make KS1 maths more playful 🙌 Full details next week, this blog gives a taster: garethmetcalfe.com/2025/06/09/i...

I See Reasoning - Y1 and Y2 needs about 2/3 weeks for me to finish. Any longer than that and I will release in January. Sorry for me being so slow! Life has a way of throwing urgent things in my path. Hope it will be worth the wait!

Working with a Year 5/6 class & teachers in Oxford on this fantastic @gareth-metcalfe.bsky.social ‘Explore’ task. Children worked practically & commonly made connections between several concepts. They demonstrated varying degrees of mathematical reasoning, including in their journalling.

Loved my day today, working with a school to develop children as problem-solvers. I’m thinking a lot about how these values (especially the last 2) can be developed in maths lessons. How care is not just pastoral but is also evident in lesson design. My next big thing…

Here are all the calculations needed to answer the final 5 questions of the 2025 SATS papers 2&3. For me, it says that the challenge lies in understanding the questions (rather than calculation fluency). I’m designing more resources to help with this!

The EEF are looking for those involved at Primary & Secondary to complete this 12-min survey about your views on the teaching and learning of mathematics: forms.office.com/pages/respon... Please share!

I've finished I See Reasoning - Y1 and am most way with I See Reasoning - Y2! A range of techniques for getting children thinking, talking and being challenged. Lots of scope for creativity. I'm aiming for an October launch. Will share lots of examples soon😃

Really enjoyed this today, the extension used with a brilliant Y5 class:

Today, from Deconstructing Word Questions - Y6, looking at how questions that look very different can have similar/the same structure. Helping children to make connections:

In #MathsToday I did this as a starter on estimation. With the aim of getting pupils to consider which counters are the 'significant' ones.

Enjoyed trialling a problem-solving task around flexible partitioning. Finished with this image, to show how being able to partition 342 in different ways is useful when subtracting:

The all-new I See Reasoning for Y1 and Y2 will be out in October! Final stretches of the writing/trialling now. Very different to the original. After that, I'm going to start on a 4-year writing project developing sequences of problem-solving tasks, with some really diverse, extended challenges.

I'm off social media now for the summer. Everyone, have a great break. Lots of plans for 25/26, including the release of I See Reasoning - Y1 and Y2. After that, more divergent problem-solving tasks coming for Y5 and Y6. Much love - Gareth

When you have a pair of word questions that are subtly different, a spotlight is shone on those 'key words', the key differences:

Final call: 90 minutes, how to teach children to break down multi-step word questions. Join live or use the recording any time:

A big part of the Deconstructing Word Questions resources are the 'Which Picture' discussion prompts. Examples below from the Y2 and Y6 resources:

To finish this year, a series of 7 posts from me looking at the Deconstructing Word Questions techniques. Firstly, 'Which Bar Model'. The discussion is better for having a number removed so children don't simply say what the answer is.

The four videos on this page, each about 3 mins, explain the key principles for helping children to break down word questions. So many great classroom moments for me!

The Maths Horizons report gives a clear, compelling vision for the future of maths education. I've draw out 3 points. Firstly, the broad recommendations:

I See Reasoning - Y1 will have LOADS of examples of questions that can be answered in different ways, lead to discussion, lead to practical exploration. Making progress every day! garethmetcalfe.com/2025/06/09/i...

A 6 year-old blog that I hope is timeless! Some great multiplication investigations: garethmetcalfe.com/2019/11/01/a...

The pie chart SATS question from this year - using my resources to understand the big idea behind the question:

I've got to page 94 on I See Reasoning - Y1. Extremely visual and introducing children to a wide range of reasoning techniques. Lots to discuss, laying the crucial reasoning foundations: garethmetcalfe.com/2025/06/09/i...

Why the true effectiveness of teaching can't be judged from an end-of-year assessment. And the long-term impact of expert teaching: garethmetcalfe.com/2023/05/17/l...

How the I See Reasoning fractions examples help children understand a SATS reasoning question:

I like this one, an idea a Y6 teacher shared with me this week. Give other coordinates that could go on the red line. What would a common incorrect answer be?

I See Reasoning - Y1 will include prompts for helping children to understand word questions. Not enough to justify a full eBook (as for Y2-Y6) so they will all be in ISR - Y1: garethmetcalfe.com/2025/06/09/i...

I appreciate that there are lots of reasons to dislike Amazon, but - sadly - the vast majority of book sales go through that website. So, if you read Primary Reading Simplified and thought it might be valuable to teachers, please consider taking 30 seconds to add a rating there.

Share the big vision with your whole staff in September (90 minutes). Teaching children to understand word questions:

The first video in a mini-series on how the I See Reasoning questions to can help children to answer some of the SATS questions. Video 1: the cube question!

On #TDAPE this week with @kieran-m-ed.bsky.social talking about some of the leadership lessons I've learnt so far. Hopefully, this interesting to anyone in leadership or aspiring to lead. tinyurl.com/8fvmpuv8 Please share @headteacherchat.bsky.social @edfinch.bsky.social @marymyatt.bsky.social

Working on this every day! I See Reasoning - Y1 and Y2 to lay the deep thinking, debating, exploring, explaining foundations: garethmetcalfe.com/2025/06/09/i...

Q23 from Paper 2 all about understanding that 24 is the blue section, and the answer is the green section. The Fractions of Quantities task family from Deconstructing Word Questions - Y6 teaches this will loads of examples.

If you've read Primary Reading Simplified and found it useful, it would mean a lot to me if you would consider taking 60 seconds to add a rating or review at the place where you bought it. It's a little thing that makes a huge difference. Reposts are also much appreciated.

It’s true that children need calculation skills to access problem-solving. Here are ALL the calculations needed to answer the last 5 qs of SATS paper 2&3. Lots, but not too hard. IMO, developing strategies to understand those questions is the all-important thing.

Modelling to help children to understand word questions. Equipment to images:

Really enjoyed this today, a slight variation on something I've done before. Children choose which of the 3 perspectives are taken by the dog/cat:

Pairs of 'minimally different' word questions are SO powerful for getting children to read questions carefully and see subtle but important differences in wording:

The first in a series of videos looking at building children as problem-solvers. This one is relatively easy to implement and high impact: slowly reveal information.

Deepening the challenge by using 'How Many Ways' questions:

Doesn't seem ideal...

The first of 7 videos on the most beautiful and important theme: Building Children as Problem-Solvers. To start, routines to help children to create their own examples:

My latest project! From the off, children can experience maths as a thinking, talking, creative subject. A sample section going to the mailing list tomorrow: iseemaths.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

My recent blog for the EEF on using manipulatives in problem-solving: eef.li/7fPUqK

"in oversimplifying the complex, messy work of T&L, we risk promoting a lack of intellectual curiosity and embedding a reluctance to question approaches or think critically. We’re on our way to dumbing down teaching" @samgibbs.bsky.social for @tesmagazine.bsky.social www.tes.com/magazine/tea...

I’m really looking forward to interacting on here! Specifically, to better track thought-provoking people in the primary maths space. Who should I follow? I will start posting soon too. Lots of new resources/ideas I want your feedback on 👍

Working with some of our Y2 pupils this week on problem solving. Used some questions from the @mathematicala.bsky.social First Maths Challenge. We could have used the answers given, or trial and improvement, but instead we built on their knowledge of bar models, and number rods. Polypad app.