Beginner’s Guide to Year 7 Maths

All about The Beginner’s Guide to Year 7 Maths

Once the excitement of starting High School wears off, students can find starting Year 7 Maths quite daunting. After all, Year 7 is an important year for Maths students as you learn all the foundations for the harder concepts you’ll need for Years 11 and 12.

Falling behind in Year 7, or failing to grasp the basics, will make it really difficult to catch back up to your classmates. This Beginner’s Guide to Year 7 Maths is your resource for staying on top.

We created The Beginner’s Guide to Year 7 Maths to help students learn and reinforce the core concepts they need to know for Year 7. Developing a strong understanding of the theory is the first step in our Matrix Method for Maths^TM .

What’s in this Guide?

In this Guide, we will break down and guide you through the core concepts of Year 7 Maths:

• Decimals and percentages
• Fractions
• Algebraic Techniques
• Angle relationships
• Length
• Area
• Data Collection and Relationships
• Pythagoras’ Theorem

Each article addresses the NESA Syllabus Outcomes for the subject. These can be found here on the NESA website (Years 7 & 8 are known as Stage 4).

What are the common issues faced by Year 7 Maths students?

There is a significant jump from Year 6 Maths to Year 7 Maths. Students may find it difficult to apply the concepts they learned in Year 6 to Year 7 because the level of Maths is much harder and the jump into High School can be unsettling.

Some common problems that students face are:

• Difficulty converting decimals to percentages and vice versa
• Difficulty understanding equivalent fractions and adding/subtracting fractions with
  different denominators
• Lack of understanding with the role of algebra in Mathematics and its role in worded
  problems
• Lack of practice and understanding with performing all four operations with algebra
• Not knowing angle relationships and the role it plays in two-dimensional shapes
• Not knowing how to apply length and area formulas in more difficult problems
• Poor understanding of the role of mean, median, mode and range in statistics
• Inability to rearrange the Pythagoras Theorem formula to find either the hypotenuse or a
  different side in a right-angle triangles

Why do students struggle with Maths in Year 7?

We’ve learned that many students struggle with Maths in Year 7 because they take the wrong approach to learning and study. Here are some of the reasons that students have difficulty:

• Students do not understand the basics of algebra – Instead, they rote learn methods for specific types of questions. For them, Mathematics becomes memory work instead of a logical puzzle game.
• Students do not dedicate enough practice time to work on various types of questions – They may be actively involved in extra-curricular activities which make it harder to spend time working on Maths. When these students encounter unseen questions, they have no idea how to approach them.
• Students do not have the patience for figuring out each question before referring to the solution for working steps – This means the essence of that question, and its learning opportunities, are lost through ‘referring’ to the solution.
• Students underestimate the application of Mathematics in everyday life – Just because many topics in Mathematics are not utilized in day to day activities does not mean Mathematics is useless. By being exposed to different types of questions continually, this develops your problem-solving skills which will be helpful in the future.
• Students have a lack of commitment towards their homework – Sometimes, students put off their homework because they are busy, don’t enjoy it, or just don’t see the importance of it. It is crucial that students develop a good habit of finishing their homework early because this gives them a chance to practice and refine their skills.
• Students struggle to understand the specific language used – Students begin to lose motivation when they don’t understand what is going on. You can’t solve a problem if you don’t understand what it means. This is why it is important that students fully understand the definitions of mathematical terms.

What is the process I should use when I study Maths?

If you can’t describe the process to do something, you don’t really understand it. This is especially true for Maths.

Mastering Maths is a systematic process that begins with understanding the theory of each concept.

We’ve helped thousands of students over the past 19 years by following this method:

1. Theory – Developing a thorough understanding of mathematical concepts is the first step to mastering Maths. Learn from Matrix Theory Books. They are carefully structured to help you understand even the most complex stuff!
2. Application – Memorising formulas will only get you so far. Consolidate your understanding by learning how to apply concepts and techniques to solve problems.
3. Examples – Work through examples that will actually be in your exam. You’ll learn how to present your solution for maximum marks in exams.
4. Concept Checks – Learn the most efficient problem-solving techniques with different types of exam-style questions.
5. Workbook – Sharpen your skills with hundreds of exam-style questions. It’s important to keep practising as this is the only way you can find the right balance between speed and accuracy.
6. Quizzes and Feedback – Weekly quizzes and feedback provide you with opportunities to identify your gaps and address them ASAP.
7. Topic Test – Working under exam conditions will boost your confidence for the real thing. Learn from your mistakes and fill your gaps so you are continually improving.

How will this Guide help me ace Year 7 Maths?

In this guide, we’ll explain the theory in each article and then show you how to apply it.

We’ve provided some worked examples at the end of each article so that you can see the application of the theory.

You can also check your knowledge with checkpoint questions for each subject. These will let you test your skills.

So that you can check your skills and understand your mistakes, we’ve included the worked solutions.

What should I do to improve my marks in Maths?

If you want to improve your marks in Maths, you must be methodical in your approach. You’ll see improvements in your marks if you follow the step-by-step process for studying Maths.

Take your Maths to the next level

At Matrix, we provide you with quality resources and clear, structured theory lessons taught by Maths experts. Learn more about our Year 7 Maths course now!

Does your child need a boost for High School Maths?

Develop their skills. Help their confidence. Learn from the best with our Year 7 Maths Term Course.

Learn more ?

Develop your understanding and skills in Maths

Now it is time to familiarise yourself with the content of this Guide. This is a resource that you should come back to consistently as you encounter the subjects at school during the year.

Let’s start with Fractions.

Download your free Year 7 Fractions worksheet

Test and sharpen your Maths skills with challenging questions!

Download now

Download your free Year 7 Fractions worksheet

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