I am 75 now, but when I was teaching I was free to do it my own way. Numbers were play, especially mental arithmetic. So how did I do it? How did I make it fun? They would ask me… can I tell you what I know? Be it counting to 10 or reciting their 9’s or their ten’s! The five’s… they all lived the five’s! When did we do this? Often there was a waiting time, when the whole class of 30 were lined up for lunch. We would chant. - Probably one of the favourites was 2,4,6,8, who do we appreciate? yeah! Mee! Hands would go up! Me, me. Ok Billy.. count to 5.. he does, everyone claps. We all count to 100. We all count in tens. Chant again, everyone…2,4,6,8…who do we appreciate? Cheering.. ok Jill Q:what comes next..2,4,6,8,? Jill “ten” everyone claps Let’s all say it…2,4,6,8,10 Again, again.. Repeat from * Q: who can say all their twos… lots of hands go up..me, me pick me… ok Jonny..how far can you go? A: Jonny… 2468,10 12 , he doesn’t stop until he gets to 30. Next Everyone I say one, they say two, I say three, they say 4, I say 5, they say 6,etc ( repeat..they start, they say 1) We do it again but I have to whisper. We do it again they have to whisper. We do it again..I can only mouth it.. ( repeat..this time 3’s) ( or 5’s… they all like the 5’s) We do the appreciation thing again… We say the rhyme one, two, buckle my shoe… with all the actions. After lunch we are in the playground… they come running up to me..so the games and the chants continue.. even all the kids wanting those who struggle to succeed. They help each other too…going off to dance and skip to their maths rhymes and chants. They love it! Home school… do this after bedtime story…do it in the car..dance to it,skip to it..