Teaching guides
Practical, no-fluff guides for teachers and parents, each with free printable worksheets to practise what you read.
Which times tables are taught in which year? UK, Australia, US and NZ compared
A year-by-year comparison of when children learn each times table in England, Australia, the United States and New Zealand, why the ages differ, and what to practise before each milestone.
The 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables: tricks for the ten facts that hold children up
Once the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 times tables are known, only ten new facts remain. The patterns, tricks and practice order for the 6, 7, 8 and 9 times tables, with the facts children miss most.
Reading comprehension in Grades 1 and 2: what to expect and how to help
What comprehension looks like for 6 and 7 year olds, why decoding has to come first, the four question types to ask, and how to use short passages without turning reading into a test.
Reading comprehension in Grades 3 to 5: inference, main idea and evidence
The years comprehension shifts from what happened to why it matters. What Grades 3, 4 and 5 are expected to do, why the fourth-grade slump happens, and how to teach evidence-based answers.
Reading comprehension in Grades 6 to 8: analysis, theme and argument
What comprehension means in middle school: theme rather than main idea, author's purpose and bias, comparing sources, and writing answers that quote evidence properly.
How to teach elapsed time (the number line method that always works)
Elapsed time trips children up because clocks are base 60. The number line method, the count-on-in-chunks strategy, worked examples across the hour, and the mistakes to expect.
How to teach counting money in the UK and Australia (pounds, and dollars without a penny)
British and Australian coins behave differently from American ones, so US money advice misleads. The coins children actually meet, why rounding to 5c matters in Australia, and a teaching order for each.
Blends vs digraphs: the difference, with examples and how to teach each
A blend is two letters, two sounds (stop). A digraph is two letters, one sound (ship). Why the difference matters for reading and spelling, full example lists, and the order to teach them.
Types of quadrilaterals: square, rectangle, rhombus, parallelogram, trapezium and kite
The six quadrilaterals children meet in primary school, what makes each one special, how they overlap (a square is also a rectangle), and how to teach the family tree without confusion.
BODMAS, BIDMAS or PEMDAS? Order of operations explained (with worked examples)
BODMAS, BIDMAS, BEDMAS and PEMDAS all describe the same rule. Here is what each letter means, the trap in the D and M (and A and S), and a set of worked examples with the correct answers.
How to teach equivalent fractions (so children see why, not just how)
A teaching sequence for equivalent fractions: folding, fraction walls, the multiply-both-parts rule, simplifying, and the common mistakes, with worked examples and free worksheets.
How to teach division: sharing, grouping and the facts, before long division
Division goes wrong when it is taught as a procedure before it is understood as sharing and grouping. A step-by-step teaching sequence from counters to division facts to remainders, with worked examples.
How to teach rounding numbers to the nearest 10, 100 and 1,000
A teaching sequence for rounding that uses the number line first and the 5-or-more rule second, with worked examples, the halfway trap, and why rounding matters for estimating.
How to teach phonics at home: from letter sounds to CVC words, digraphs and blends
A plain-English guide to systematic phonics for parents and new teachers: the order to teach sounds, how to blend and segment, what CVC words, digraphs and blends are, and free worksheets for every stage.
How to teach kids to touch type: what age, how long, and a lesson plan that works
When children are ready to learn touch typing, how to teach the home row and correct fingers, why accuracy must come before speed, and realistic words-per-minute targets by age.
10 number bond games and activities for number bonds to 10, 20 and 100
Practical games for learning number bonds: ten frames, rainbow bonds, flip cards, dice, dominoes and quick oral routines, sequenced from bonds to 5 up to bonds to 100, with free worksheets.
How to teach 2D shapes: names, sides and corners, from preschool to grade 2
A teaching sequence for 2D shapes: which shapes to teach at each age, how to describe them by sides and corners rather than appearance, common misconceptions, and free shape worksheets.
Greater than and less than symbols: how to teach comparing numbers (beyond the alligator)
How to teach the greater than, less than and equal to symbols so children read them correctly, why the alligator trick is not enough, and a sequence for comparing numbers from 1 to 1,000.
Homework without tears: a 15-minute routine
A calm, repeatable homework routine that heads off the nightly battle, built on a fixed time and place, short focused chunks, and a parent who coaches rather than solves.
How to teach area and perimeter so kids stop mixing them up
Area and perimeter get confused because they are taught together. A clear guide to the difference, with the units that matter and worked rectangle examples you can copy.
Printable maths games with just dice and paper
Five easy maths games you can play with nothing but dice and paper, covering addition, place value, times tables and a little probability, with the rules and worked examples.
How to run a spelling routine that sticks
A simple weekly spelling routine that actually works, built on look-say-cover-write-check, spaced practice and the right word list. A practical guide for teachers and parents.
What is the bar model? Singapore maths for parents
The bar model is a simple drawing that turns word problems into a picture you can solve. A parent-friendly guide to part-whole, comparison and multiplication bar models, with worked examples.
How to teach skip counting (and why it matters for multiplication)
Skip counting is the bridge from counting to multiplication. A step-by-step guide to teaching counting by 2s, 5s, 10s, 3s and 4s, why it matters, and free printable practice.
SproutSheets is now ChalkBee
SproutSheets has a new name: ChalkBee. Same free printable worksheets, same never-wrong maths answer keys, same team. Here is what changed and what did not.
School terms and holidays in Australia, the US and the UK: a teacher's guide
How the school year is structured in Australia (4 terms), the UK (3 terms and 6 half-terms) and the United States (semesters or quarters), with typical timing, school-day counts, and how to plan your teaching around the terms.
Why AI worksheet generators get the maths wrong (and how to spot it)
AI worksheet tools are fast, but their answer keys often contain arithmetic mistakes. Here is why large language models miscalculate, how to check a key in seconds, and how computed worksheets avoid the problem entirely.
How to teach reading comprehension: a step-by-step guide
A practical guide to teaching reading comprehension, the strategies that work by grade, the question types to practise, a simple weekly routine, and the common mistakes to avoid, with free printable passages.
Number talks: 5-minute maths warm-ups that work
Number talks are short, mental-only maths discussions that build flexible thinking and number sense. A practical guide for teachers and parents, with ready-to-use prompts and worked examples.
US, UK and Australian spelling differences: the complete teacher list
A complete, verified reference to US, UK, Australian, Canadian and NZ spelling differences for teachers and parents: colour vs color, -ise vs -ize, practice vs practise, maths vs math and every tricky pair, with an at-a-glance table.
How to help a child who is struggling with maths
A calm, practical plan for helping a child who finds maths hard, find the gap, go back to concrete, build fact fluency and keep it low-stress, with free printable practice.
How to teach word problems (a step-by-step method)
Word problems trip up strong calculators because the maths is hidden in language. A simple read-picture-plan-solve-check routine makes them approachable, with free printable practice.
How to teach subtraction with regrouping (borrowing)
A clear, step-by-step way to teach subtraction with regrouping so it makes sense, not just a rule to memorise, with worked examples and free practice.
Times tables in 10 minutes a day: a 6-week plan
A realistic 6-week plan to learn the times tables in just 10 minutes a day, with the smart order to teach them, daily routine and free printable practice.
Maths anxiety: what the research says for parents
What maths anxiety actually is, what decades of research say about where it comes from, and the calm, evidence-based things parents can do to help, with free printable practice.
How to teach decimals with money
Money is the clearest way to make decimals make sense. A step-by-step guide to teaching tenths and hundredths using dollars and cents, with worked examples and free practice.
How to teach multiplication: strategies that stick
A clear order for teaching multiplication, from equal groups and skip counting to arrays and the times tables, with free printable practice.
How to teach telling time on an analog clock
A step-by-step order for teaching kids to tell time, from o'clock and half past to five-minute intervals and elapsed time, with free printable clocks.
How to teach counting money
A simple order for teaching kids to count coins and notes and make change, for US, UK and Australian money, with free printable practice.
How to teach addition: strategies and the right order
A research-backed order for teaching addition, from counting on and number bonds to regrouping, with free printable practice.
How to play Dots and Boxes (rules + strategy)
Learn the simple rules of Dots and Boxes, the classic pencil-and-paper game, plus the chain strategy that helps you win. Free printable grid included.
How to teach handwriting: a step-by-step guide
A simple, research-backed order for teaching handwriting, from pencil grip to letter formation to fluent writing, with free printable practice.
The best fonts for teaching handwriting (and which to use)
A plain-English guide to handwriting fonts for teachers and parents: single-story letterforms, dotted and arrow tracing fonts, and the right school style for the US, UK and each Australian state.
Sight words by grade: the complete list
What sight words are, why they matter, and the words to focus on from Pre-K to Grade 3, with free practice worksheets for each level.
How to teach long division (the easy way)
A clear, step-by-step method for teaching long division that actually sticks, the common mistakes to avoid, and free practice worksheets.
What is a number bond? Definition, examples and how to use them
A number bond shows how a number splits into parts. Here's what number bonds are, why they build mental math, and how to teach them, with free worksheets.
How to teach the times tables: 9 tricks that actually stick
The fastest, least painful way to teach the multiplication tables, the order to learn them in, and the tricks that make them stick, with free practice.
How to teach place value (so it finally clicks)
Place value is the idea that a digit's position changes its worth. Here's how to teach it step by step, the common mistakes, and free practice worksheets.
When do kids learn to write letters? A milestone guide by age
A realistic, age-by-age guide to handwriting milestones from scribbles to sentences, what's normal, and how to help, with free handwriting practice.
How to teach fractions to kids: a complete guide
Fractions trip kids up because they break the rules of whole numbers. Here's the order to teach them, the common mistakes, and free practice worksheets.
What is regrouping in math? (carrying and borrowing explained)
Regrouping is the 'carrying' and 'borrowing' in column addition and subtraction. Here's what it really means, why it works, and free practice.
Main idea vs theme vs summary: a simple guide for kids
Main idea, theme and summary are easy to mix up. Here's the plain-English difference, with examples and free reading worksheets to practise.