In this episode of the Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky ask whether we need to change the way we teach maths during a heatwave.

With classrooms getting hotter and the end of term in sight, they explore what heat can do to attention, working memory, processing speed and classroom engagement. Is it just children being tired and sticky, or is there a genuine cognitive load issue at play?

They also tackle one of the classic primary maths debates: when multiplying by 10, is it ever OK to say you “put a zero on the end”? Jon and Becky discuss place value, mathematical shortcuts, misconceptions, decimals, fluency, relational understanding and why seeing the structure matters more than simply getting the answer quickly.

Plus, there’s ice cream ratios, hydration breaks, the Fosbury Flop, Richard Skemp, Jerome Bruner and a reminder that the brand-new PlanIt Maths Place Value resources are now available.

Explore the new PlanIt Maths Place Value resources here:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/ndlp8