New Wave Mental Maths is a best-selling series written to consolidate students’ mathematical understanding through comprehensive and structured daily mental maths practice.
The series supports learning for curricula across Australia, and has been revised to meet the proficiencies of the Australian Curriculum Version 9.0, covering Understanding, Fluency, Problem-solving, and Reasoning.
The seven workbooks are designed to ensure students:
- Practise mental calculation concepts and skills across all strands
- Consolidate their understanding of mathematical topics and vocabulary
- Reinforce their learning through self-guided revision of pre-taught concepts.
New to this edition is the ‘Strand Activity’ section, which provides students the space to apply critical thinking and inquiry skills to worded problems or activities, such as games. Designed for flexible use in the classroom, these colour-coded questions link to the curriculum strands: blue for Number, purple for Algebra, green for Measurement, orange for Space, and red for Statistics.
The ‘Maths Facts’, located at the back of each workbook, support student learning through visual representation of mathematical concepts.
The goal of this series is to encourage students to practise mental calculations every day, supporting their future in a world that is full of maths.
Book A features:
First revision in a long time.
A day per page, with between 2-7 questions per day and lots of clean space.
Lots of supportive and engaging artwork, including authentic Aboriginal artwork created by Melinda Brown.
Question 1 of each week builds supplementary number knowledge and improves motor skills with tracing and saying. This encourages regular practice and the reinforcement that supports the student in feeling confident in counting forward and backwards in 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s.
Real-world topics are scattered throughout for continuous practice from a young age; these include season knowledge, months, time and money. Having these questions throughout the book provides opportunities for the teacher to expand on these topics and to support students with a life of maths.
Fun games are included as well as some inquiry and practical activities such as using modelling clay, pebbles, pop sticks and playing cards.
Book B features:
Lots of space - reduced to 7 questions per day (and 9 questions for Friday Review.)
Three columns to allow for further support and accessibility as students can see the whole week across a double page spread.
Lots of supportive and engaging artwork, including authentic Aboriginal artwork created by Melinda Brown.
Scaffolded questions include examples and hints for new concepts.
An inquiry Problem-solving format allows for extension and moderation depending on individual learning stages (providing students an opportunity to take charge of their own learning and providing teachers the opportunity to assess what students are using as a strategy.)
The Year 2 book is a great encouragement into the world of more structured maths, offering number sentences, and strategies for their future as maths students.
Book C features:
Two columns to a page, with 9 questions per column and 15 colour-coded questions for Friday Review (in a single column.)
Lots of supportive and engaging artwork, including authentic Aboriginal artwork created by Melinda Brown.
Concentrates on Year 3 level content, however does keep some later concepts that support real-world knowledge and bridging to the following years.
Book D features:
Two columns to a page, with 15 questions per column and 18 colour-coded stranded questions for Friday Review (across two narrow columns.)
Focuses on engagement through repeated questions in varying formats, building on independent working out towards the end of the book.
Lots of supportive and engaging artwork, including authentic Aboriginal artwork created by Melinda Brown.
Problem-solving format jumps to a more detailed format to further encourage inquiry and strategy usage.
Book E features:
15 questions per column and 18 colour-coded stranded questions for Friday Review (across two narrow columns.)
Focuses on Year 5 concepts and includes some introduction of bridging concepts to allow for differentiation, and real-world preparation.
Lots of supportive and engaging artwork, including authentic Aboriginal artwork created by Melinda Brown.
Maths comes alive with charts, grids, angles and more sophisticated building on the simpler concepts previously introduced in Books A-D.
Book F features:
15 questions per column and 18 colour-coded stranded questions for Friday Review (across two narrow columns.)
Focuses on Year 5 concepts and includes some introduction of bridging concepts to allow for differentiation, and real-world preparation.
Lots of supportive and engaging artwork, including authentic Aboriginal artwork created by Melinda Brown.
