Arithmetic is one of those areas where a little practice, done regularly, can go a long way.

Developing strong arithmetic skills isn't simply about helping children calculate more quickly. It's about building confidence with numbers, developing secure number facts and giving pupils a range of strategies they can draw upon when tackling more complex maths.

The National Curriculum places a strong emphasis on mathematical fluency, with pupils expected to develop their skills through varied and frequent practice.

But how can we build arithmetic practice into an already busy primary school day without creating lots of extra planning?

Here are five simple ideas.

1. Make it 'little and often'

Arithmetic practice doesn't always need a full lesson.

In fact, short bursts of regular practice can be an easy way to revisit skills without taking too much time away from the rest of the curriculum.

Try building 5–10 minutes of arithmetic into existing classroom routines.

For example:

• a quick morning task as children settle
• five questions at the beginning of a Maths lesson
• an arithmetic question of the day
• a quick-fire whole-class challenge
• a short activity before lunch

Keeping these activities short also makes it easier to revisit skills regularly throughout the year.

2. Build secure number facts

Strong arithmetic skills rely on children having a secure bank of number facts they can recall and use.

Depending on the age of the children, these might include:

• number bonds
• addition and subtraction facts
• doubles and halves
• multiplication tables
• related division facts
• complements to 10, 100 or 1,000

But don't just practise facts in isolation.

Encourage children to spot the relationships between them.

If a child knows:

6 + 4 = 10

Can they use that knowledge to work out:

60 + 40?

600 + 400?

Or if they know:

7 × 8 = 56

What else can they tell you?

8 × 7 = 56

56 ÷ 7 = 8

56 ÷ 8 = 7

Helping pupils make these connections can turn individual facts into useful mathematical knowledge.

3. Mix mental and written arithmetic

Being fluent in arithmetic isn't about using one method for every calculation.

Children need opportunities to develop both mental strategies and efficient written methods, as well as learning to recognise when each might be useful.

For example, a pupil faced with:

299 + 48

might recognise that adjusting 299 to 300 makes the calculation easier mentally.

A more complex calculation may be better suited to a formal written method.

Try occasionally asking:

"How would you work this out?"

rather than simply:

"What is the answer?"

Comparing different approaches as a class can help children see that there is often more than one way to reach an answer.

4. Keep coming back to previous learning

One of the challenges of teaching Maths is that pupils can appear confident with a skill while it is the current topic – only to struggle to recall it several weeks later.

Regular arithmetic practice provides a simple opportunity to keep previously taught skills fresh.

Rather than giving children ten questions practising exactly the same skill, try including a mixture.

A Year 5 arithmetic activity, for example, might revisit:

• addition and subtraction
• multiplication and division
• place value
• fractions
• decimals
• previously learnt multiplication facts

This kind of mixed practice encourages children to think about which knowledge or method they need to use, rather than simply repeating the method they've just been shown.

It also gives teachers a useful opportunity to spot areas that may need revisiting.

5. Give children plenty of opportunities to practise independently

Teacher modelling and class discussion are important, but children also need opportunities to have a go for themselves.

Independent arithmetic practice helps pupils consolidate what they've learnt and can highlight misconceptions or gaps in understanding.

The challenge, of course, is finding enough suitable activities without creating another pile of planning and photocopying for teachers.

Having a bank of ready-to-use arithmetic activities can make regular practice much easier to incorporate into the school week.

Even a few minutes at a time can add up to a significant amount of practice across a term.

Fluency isn't just about speed

It's worth remembering that arithmetic fluency shouldn't simply become a race to see who can answer the fastest.

A fluent mathematician is developing the ability to recall useful knowledge, understand relationships between numbers, select appropriate strategies and calculate accurately and efficiently.

Speed may develop as children's knowledge becomes more secure, but understanding remains important.

Regular, varied practice can help pupils build that confidence over time.