Minimally Different Mega Practice
Up to 35 questions on one topic, where each question changes one thing from the last. Students spot the change, predict what it will do, then check. Ready to project or print.
Chain AFactorising quadratics
- 1x2 + 7x + 12
- 2x2 + 8x + 12+7x becomes +8x
- 3x2 − 8x + 12+8x becomes −8x
One change at a time. What does it do to the answer?
How Minimally Different Mega Practice works
Each page has 25 to 35 questions on one topic, set out in short chains.
Every question changes just one thing from the one before, so the thinking is about what that change does to the answer.
Switch on Changes to highlight what’s different, show the questions one at a time, or print them as a worksheet.
Reflect, Expect, Check, Explain
The practice works when students think about the connection between questions, not just the answers. Four steps, every question.
- 1
Reflect
What has changed from the last question?
- 2
Expect
What effect will that change have on the answer? Make a prediction.
- 3
Check
Work it out. Was the prediction right?
- 4
Explain
How would you explain the connection to someone who can’t see it?
Leave Changes switched off to start with, so students have to spot the difference for themselves.
No practice sets match
Try fewer words, or a different word for the same thing.
Number
Mental arithmetic
2- Mental arithmeticNumber bondsKS1KS2
Bonds to 10, 20, 100 and 1,000, and one number against different totals
- Mental arithmeticOrder of operationsKS2KS3
Which operation comes first, brackets, powers, the fraction bar and adding brackets to hit a target
Written methods
1- Written methods
Column methods up to three digits, and when to exchange
Factors, multiples and primes
3- Factors, multiples and primes
Listing factors and multiples, spotting primes, and common factors and multiples
- Factors, multiples and primes
Products of primes, then HCF and LCM by listing and from prime factors
- Factors, multiples and primes
AND against OR, repeats allowed or not, restrictions, and when order matters
Negative numbers
1- Negative numbers
All four operations, powers and substitution
Rounding and estimation
1- Rounding and estimationRoundingKS2KS3
Nearest 10, 100 and 1,000, decimal places and significant figures
Fractions
1Decimals
2- Decimals
Digits moving place, placeholder zeros, and why × 0.1 makes a number smaller
Also in: Place value
Percentages
2- PercentagesPercentagesKS2KS3GCSE
Of, increase, decrease, reverse, percentage change and successive changes
- Percentages
Simple against compound, growth and decay, and how many years it takes
Fraction, decimal, percentage equivalence
1- Fraction, decimal, percentage equivalence
Every direction, values over 100%, and recurring decimals
Proportion
2- ProportionDirect and inverse proportionKS2KS3GCSE
Direct, inverse or neither, recipes and workers, forming equations, and the effect of a change
- ProportionSpeed, density and pressureKS3GCSE
Finding whichever quantity is missing, and converting units first
Indices, roots and surds
4- Indices, roots and surds
Large and small numbers both ways, and fixing numbers that aren’t quite in standard form
- Indices, roots and surds
All four operations and powers, and adjusting when the number part leaves 1 to 10
- Indices, roots and surdsSurdsGCSE
Simplifying, multiplying against adding, brackets and rationalising the denominator
Algebra
Introduction to algebra
2- Introduction to algebra
One input in changing expressions, one expression with changing inputs, and values that are undefined
- Introduction to algebraAlgebraic index lawsKS3GCSE
Multiplying, dividing, adding and powers of powers, with coefficients and negative indices
Sequences
1- Sequences
Terms from the nth term, finding the nth term, and whether a number is a term
Brackets
2- BracketsFactorising quadraticsKS3GCSE
One and two brackets, the difference of two squares, and ones that will not factorise
Linear equations
1- Linear equationsSolving linear equationsKS2KS3
One step to unknowns on both sides, plus no solution and infinitely many
Formulae
2- FormulaeRearranging formulaeKS3GCSE
The subject once, inside a square or root, and twice, where it needs factorising
Quadratic equations
1- Quadratic equations
Even and odd x terms, a coefficient of x² other than 1, and turning points
Also in: Quadratic and other graphs
Straight-line graphs
1- Straight-line graphsEquations of straight linesKS3GCSE
Gradient and y-intercept, gradient from two points, finding the equation, and parallel and perpendicular lines
Geometry
Measures and units
2- Measures and unitsMetric unit conversionsKS1KS2
Length, mass and capacity, converting in both directions
- Measures and units
Squaring and cubing the factor, both directions, and areas and volumes from mixed units
Also in: Perimeter and area, Volume and surface area
Time
1- Time
Hours, minutes and seconds, decimal hours, fractions of an hour, and days and weeks
Similarity and congruence
1- Similarity and congruence
Length, area and volume scale factors, working forwards and backwards
Statistics & Probability
Averages and spread
1- Averages and spread
Mean, median, mode and range, an even count, and a missing value from the mean