A question that kept being asked, a concept that wasn't making sense, a barrier that needed to be overcome, or an opportunity to explain mathematics in a different way: Everything you find here has grown from years of listening, teaching, reflecting and learning.
It is all part of one educational philosophy: helping everyone find their way into, through and beyond maths.
Some resources explain mathematics through words. Some through pictures. Others explore the psychology of learning mathematics itself. Together they form the Making Maths Make Sense Collection.
Maths Your Way Book Series
There is no single route to understanding maths. Some learners prefer detailed explanations, some understand more easily when they can see an idea presented visually and some may use both. That's why the Maths Your Way collection offers more than one way into Functional Skills Maths:
Maths Your Way: In Words
This book offers detailed explanations, worked examples and lot's of practise questions with worked answers, designed to help learners build understanding step by step.
Maths Your Way: In Pictures
This book offers a more visual route through Functional Skills Maths, using visual explanations, examples and practise to help maths ideas make sense.
Maths Your Way: Revision Planner
This offers a structured way to identify what you need to work on, organise your learning and track your progress.
Available now
Maths Your Way in Words: Functional Skills Level 2
This book offers detailed explanations of the whole of the functional skills level 2 curriculum in simple language, worked examples and lot's of practise questions with worked answers, designed to help you build understanding step by step.
Available now
Maths Your Way - Number in Words: Functional Skills Level 2
This book offers detailed explanations of the number part of the functional skills level 2 curriculum in simple language, worked examples and lot's of practise questions with worked answers, designed to help you build understanding step by step.
Available now
Maths Your Way - Handling Data in Words: Functional Skills Level 2
This book offers detailed explanations of the Handling Data section of the functional skills level 2 curriculum in simple language, worked examples and lot's of practise questions with worked answers, designed to help you build understanding step by step.
Available now
Maths Your Way - Shape and Measure in Words: Functional Skills Level 2
This book offers detailed explanations of the shape and measure part of the functional skills level 2 curriculum in simple language, worked examples and lot's of practise questions with worked answers, designed to help you build understanding step by step.
Also available now
Some learners understand mathematics more easily when they can see it, and some need help to organise their revision or review their progress. The following are designed to help you on your own personal journey.
Maths Your Way in Pictures: Functional Skills Level 2.
This book offers a more visual route through Functional Skills Maths, using visual explanations, examples and practise to help maths ideas make sense. Ideal for higher level revision or alongside the Maths in Words series.
Maths Your Way - Revision Planner: Functional Skills Level 2
This offers a structured way to identify what you need to work on, organise your learning and track your progress.
Beyond learning guides
Making Maths Make Sense is about much more than passing examinations. Our wider work explores the thinking, confidence, experience and psychology that influence how people learn mathematics.
The Psychology of Maths
Why do so many capable people believe they can't do mathematics? A book exploring the beliefs, experiences, confidence and psychological barriers that can shape our relationship with mathematics — and what happens when we begin to understand them differently.
Making Maths Make Sense
The educational philosophy behind a movement
The book that will eventually bring together the ideas, research, principles and experiences that have shaped Making Maths Make Sense.
The Founder Philosophy is the starting point. The book will come later — when the ideas, research and experience have had time to develop further.
A growing library
This library will continue to grow - not because we want to publish more books, but because every learner teaches us something new.
As our understanding develops, so too will the resources we create.
Whether you are a learner, a teacher, a parent or someone who simply believes mathematics can be taught differently, we hope you will find something here that helps you on your own journey.
Psychology of Maths:
What is your relationship with maths?
Perhaps today is the beginning of a new answer.
🎯 Maths confidence cue
You don’t need to be fast to be good at maths — you need to be consistent. Confidence builds through practice and repetition, not perfection. If you can follow steps one at a time, you can complete the task.