Library

Find resources explaining the maths activities and financial literacy concepts explored in Town Squared. Gain a better understanding of maths anxiety and how you can support a maths-anxious child at home or in the classroom. All free to use and to share.

Here you will find refreshers on maths topics, clear explanations of concepts, or learn about current teaching strategies and how you can support a child's learning at home. Educators can find in-depth information about the maths concepts explored in Town Squared and ideas on how to use the games and puzzles in class.

Our resources are written by subject-matter experts, researchers and learning designers. We also include carefully curated links to relevant external resources that we believe are of benefit to supporting a maths-anxious child.

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Maths in Town Squared: balance and equivalence on the Building Site

Children move materials onto platforms so both sides balance, and send it to builders on the floors above. An equation under the platform updates as they add or remove materials to work out the answer. Repeated successful balancing wins a quest ticket.

Maths in Town Squared
Number and Algebra
Addition and subtraction
Multiplicative thinking
For teachers
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Activity sheet: Make your own playdough

Playdough is a simple, fun way to explore measurement and fractions at home.

Geometry and Measurement
Fractions
Using maths at home
For teachers
For families
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Activity sheet: Measurement

A simple, fun activity to build measurement skills.

Geometry and Measurement
Fractions
Using maths at home
For teachers
For families
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What’s it for: Measurement

Ever wondered why children are taught some things? Find out how measurement gets used at home and work.

For families
Geometry and Measurement
Everyday maths
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Maths at home: Measurement

One way to help with maths anxiety is to use maths at home. Discover some simple things you can try.

For families
Using maths at home
Geometry and Measurement
Everyday maths
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Maths at home: Fractions

One way to help with maths anxiety is to use maths at home. Discover some simple things you can try.

Number and Algebra
Fractions
Using maths at home
Everyday maths
For families
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How kids learn this at school: Measurement

Find out what has changed since you did this at school.

Maths learning strategies
For families
Number and Algebra
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How kids learn this at school: Fractions, decimals and percentages

Find out what's changed since you did this in school.

Number and Algebra
Fractions
Maths learning strategies
For families
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What’s it for: Fractions, decimals and percentages

Ever wondered why children are taught some things? Find out how fractions, decimals and percentages get used at home and work.

Number and Algebra
Fractions
Everyday maths
For families
icon Article

About this topic: Measurement

A clear, straight-forward explanation and reminder of key terms for measurement.

Geometry and Measurement
For families
Refresher
Maths concepts
icon Article

About this topic: Fractions, decimals and percentages

A clear, straight-forward explanation and reminder of key terms for this maths topic.

Number and Algebra
Fractions
Maths concepts
Refresher
For families
icon Article

Maths in Town Squared: maths on the Building Site

Children move materials onto platforms so both sides balance, and send it to builders on the floors above. An equation under the platform updates as they add or remove materials to work out the answer. Repeated successful balancing wins a quest ticket.

Maths in Town Squared
Number and Algebra
Addition and subtraction
Multiplicative thinking
For families
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Maths in Town Squared: maths in the Airport

Children combine numbers on a grid to help power up an airship. Each grid presents different ways to add, subtract or think in multiples. Finding enough combinations sends a surge of power to the waiting airship and eventually earns a quest ticket.

Maths in Town Squared
Number and Algebra
Addition and subtraction
Multiplicative thinking
For families
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Maths in Town Squared: maths in Sprite flights

Children help the clean sprites go home by plotting out 2D shapes of a specified type, and tracing these in the sky. These puzzles explore shapes and area. Making enough of the right types of shapes earns a quest ticket.

Maths in Town Squared
Geometry and Measurement
For families
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Maths in Town Squared: maths in the Factory

Children measure ingredients to make items in the Factory using fractions, decimals and percentages, and by converting between them. Success means they can keep some of the items they make, to use in quests to help their quest team get a better result.

Maths in Town Squared
Geometry and Measurement
For families
Fractions
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Getting started for families

A short guide for families to get Town Squared up and running at home.

Town Squared support
For families
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Town Squared at school: Adding educators and students

A guide for adding educator and student accounts.

Town Squared support
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Maths in Town Squared: fractions and measurement in the Factory

Children measure ingredients to make items in the Factory using fractions, decimals and percentages, and by converting between them. Success means they can keep some of the items they make, to use in quests to help their quest team get a better result.

Maths in Town Squared
Geometry and Measurement
Fractions
For teachers
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Town Squared at school: Editing student and educator accounts

A guide for editing student and educator accounts.

For teachers
Town Squared support
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Town Squared at school: IT manager guide

This guide provides background information on the software, how it works and the setup required.

For teachers
Town Squared support
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Town Squared at school: How to run a classroom session

A guide for educators on how to run Town Squared in the classroom.

For teachers
Town Squared support
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Maths in Town Squared: shapes and area in Sprite flights

Children help the clean sprites go home by plotting out 2D shapes of a specified type, and tracing these in the sky. These puzzles explore shapes and area. Making enough of the right types of shapes earns a quest ticket.

Maths in Town Squared
Geometry and Measurement
For teachers
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Life Kit podcast: maths anxiety and parenting

Find out how to put maths anxiety strategies to use, and hear how the Sesame Street writers address maths anxiety on their show.

Maths anxiety
Parenting
For families
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Why do people get so anxious about maths?

Discover the latest research in maths anxiety in this animated video.

Maths anxiety
For teachers
For families
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Maths in Town Squared: Blocks as in-game currency

Some children struggle to translate their maths skills to real world problems, like managing money. Town Squared uses a virtual currency to explore the ideas of value, earning, saving, spending, investing, sharing and giving.

Financial maths
Maths in Town Squared
For families
For teachers
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Maths in Town Squared: combining numbers in the Airport

Children combine numbers on a grid to help power up an airship. Each grid presents different ways to add, subtract or think in multiples. Finding enough combinations sends a surge of power to the waiting airship and eventually earns a quest ticket.

Maths in Town Squared
Number and Algebra
Addition and subtraction
Multiplicative thinking
For teachers
icon Article

Maths in Town Squared: Maths and gameplay

Town Squared is designed to explore The Big Ideas in Maths, address maths anxiety, and apply mathematical thinking to problem solving. Find out more about our approach.

Maths in Town Squared
For teachers
For families
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Maths at home: Shapes and Area

One way to help with maths anxiety is to use maths at home. Discover some simple things you can do and say in daily life.

Everyday maths
Geometry and Measurement
For families
Using maths at home
icon Article

What's it for: Shapes and Area

Ever wondered why kids are taught some things? Find out the purpose behind this topic, and how this kind of maths gets used for work.

Everyday maths
Geometry and Measurement
For families
icon Article

How kids learn this at school: Shapes and Area

Find out what's changed since you did this in school.

Geometry and Measurement
Maths learning strategies
For families
icon Article

About this topic: Shapes and Area

A clear, straight-forward explanation and reminder of key terms for this maths topic.

Geometry and Measurement
Maths concepts
For families
Refresher
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Maths at home: Addition and Subtraction

One way to help with maths anxiety is to use maths at home. Discover some simple things you can do and say in daily life.

Number and Algebra
Addition and subtraction
Everyday maths
Using maths at home
For families
icon Article

What's it for: Addition and Subtraction

Ever wondered why kids are taught some things? Find out the purpose behind this topic, and how this kind of maths gets used for work.

Number and Algebra
Addition and subtraction
Everyday maths
For families
icon Article

How kids learn this at school: Addition and Subtraction

Find out what's changed since you did this in school.

Maths learning strategies
Number and Algebra
Addition and subtraction
For families
icon Article

About this topic: Addition and Subtraction

A clear, straight-forward explanation and reminder of key terms for this maths topic.

Number and Algebra
Addition and subtraction
Maths concepts
Refresher
For families
icon Article

Parenting with a growth mindset approach

Understand what growth mindset is, and how to influence a child's mindset in a positive way.

Parenting
Growth mindset
For families
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What are the best strategies for dealing with maths anxiety?

Techniques for dealing with maths anxiety that you can apply straight away.

Maths anxiety
For families
For teachers
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My child is maths anxious. What can I do?

Simple things to do or say to help a maths-anxious child, or start the conversation with their teacher.

Maths anxiety
For teachers
For families
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What is maths anxiety, and what are the signs?

Learn how to spot the signs of maths anxiety and understand how it can happen.

Maths anxiety
Growth mindset
For teachers
For families