The schoolzone evaluation

Century Box is a very good teaching aid that could be used by the teacher in both mental maths and the main activities of the numeracy lesson. It is a software package that enables children to interact with a flexible number square. Both the teacher and the children can change the height and width of the grid.

The nature of the number square can be changed in order to investigate a range of concepts such as, negative numbers, large numbers and decimals. If the number square is reduced to a fairly simple grid, KS1 and Early Years children can use it for simple number manipulation when learning number order or simple addition and subtraction.

This flexibility of use enables it to be used by a range of different abilities within a mixed ability class. It can be used to enable children to investigate number patterns and to reinforce concepts such as multiplication and equal addition. For example if the diagonal 3x table pattern is highlighted for the children, numbers can be hidden by right clicking and predictions made before investigating effects of differing starting numbers and increments. Indeed, all the tables of multiples from 2 to 10 can be highlighted automatically and multiples of 11 - 16 can also be shown and investigated in a similar way.

To begin with, I have used Century Box primarily with a Year 6 middle maths group. They have been using it to develop number relationships and to identify patterns. The children have used the software within a class group using the interactive whiteboard, small groups of three on the class computers and individually in the computer suite.

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