Skills Covered

How to Use This Pack

Five pages on island maps with a grid: columns lettered A to H along the bottom and rows numbered 1 to 6 up the side, so a grid reference names a square, letter first, such as B4. On page 1 children write the grid reference of ten places on the map. Page 2 works the other way: they write what is in each square named, then draw shapes in given squares. Page 3 adds a compass: they start at a place and follow moves such as 4 squares east and 1 square north, or 2 squares south-west, write the square they reach and what is there, then say which way one place is from another. On page 4 they describe two paths drawn on the map, then write their own path between two places that stays on land. Page 5 has two treasure hunts whose clues mix grid references and directions; each has exactly one answer. The first problem on each page is a worked example.

In the Classroom

Mark a grid on the playground with chalk, letters along one side and numbers along the other, and stand children in squares: "Who is in C3?" Put a compass rose on the classroom wall so north is always known. For page 4, talk about how two different paths can both be right, as long as each move is described clearly.

At Home

Look at a street directory or a map of your town or a theme park together and find places by their grid references. Play battleships on squared paper, calling out squares like D5. Hide a treat and write grid reference clues for your child to find it.

Tips for Success

• Go along the bottom to the letter first, then up to the number
• Read the square, not the line: B4 is the whole square
• North is up the page, south is down, east is right, west is left
• North-east is halfway between north and east: one square east and one north at a time
• Count the squares you move, not the lines you cross