Year 2 - Numbots
We have some very exciting news to announce…we have signed up to Numbots for all children in Year 2. This is the sister program of Times Tables Rock Stars (some of you may be familiar with this if you have older siblings in the school). You can play by signing on through the internet or you can download the Numbots app.
Over the next day or two you will receive an email with your child’s username and password to be able to access Numbots. Below is some information about the program.
How The Game Works:
There are two play modes in NumBots that serve different purposes.
- Story Mode for Understanding
In Story Mode, the emphasis is on mathematical concepts and is underpinned by a mastery approach to teaching. Story Mode features visual representations, procedural variation, exposure to different calculation strategies and interleaved material all in very carefully sequenced order.
Unlocking Levels
Story Mode is set out as a series of Stages (Rust, Tin, Iron, etc) containing levels, a bit like Angry Birds. Rust is the first Stage and level 1 is unlocked, so this is the place for everyone to start. To unlock the next level, players need to earn two stars by showing sufficient proficiency. The levels in Story Mode follow a natural mathematical progression and move the pupil through the game automatically, which means you don’t have to set anything!
- Challenge Mode for Recall
In Challenge Mode, the emphasis is on rapid responses to essential facts and simple sums, against the clock.
Unlocking Challenges
Challenge Mode is locked for new users and is unlocked once players reach a certain level on Story Mode. It’s currently set to unlock part way through Tin stage. There are 20 Challenge levels and only the first is unlocked to begin with. To unlock the next Challenge, players must correctly answer 12 questions in a minute.
Get In The Habit
Our aim is for children to play in Story Mode for three minutes, four to five times a week, to get the best out of NumBots. Little and often is key (spaced practice is more effective than blocked practice). We hope that your child will find the program a fun way to practise maths skills as well as improving fluency.