Year 6 Algebra: lesson and practice

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

• Substitute numbers into a simple formula, and write a formula in words and letters
• Write a missing number problem as an equation with a letter, and solve it by working backwards
• Describe the term-to-term rule of a linear sequence, and continue the sequence
• Write the nth term of a linear sequence, and use it to find a term or test whether a number is a term
• Find all the pairs of numbers that satisfy an equation with two unknowns, using a table
• List every combination of two items that makes a total, and count them

You should already know

• Order of operations, with brackets, multiplying and adding (Year 6, Chapter 2)
• Multiples, factors and place value (Year 6, Chapters 1 and 3)
• Counting on and back in steps, and finding the difference between two numbers (Years 3 to 5)
• Ratio and proportion, where amounts are linked by the same rule (Year 6, Chapter 7)

Where this leads

• Measures, area and volume, where formulae are used for shapes (Year 6, Chapter 9)
• Coordinates and graphs of linear rules, such as y = 2x + 1 (Year 6, Chapter 11)
• Algebra and equations at KS3 and GCSE