Building Momentum: Collecting Like Terms & Index Laws

It’s been another busy and productive fortnight here at Maths Magician! With lessons well underway, students have been diving into two key areas of algebra: Collecting Like Terms and Index Laws. These topics are crucial for both Foundation and Higher GCSE students — they form the building blocks of algebraic confidence and problem-solving fluency.

News & Updates

Both new units are now live on the Maths Magician Moodle site, complete with activities and badges. Collecting like terms helps students simplify expressions and spot patterns in equations, while the index laws introduce powerful shortcuts for working with powers and roots. Together, they form a strong foundation for future algebra topics such as expanding brackets and simplifying fractions.

Tips for Success

When working with algebra, always remember:

• Only combine terms with the same variable and power — think of them as “like ingredients” in a recipe.

• Use the index laws to make calculations simpler:

  These rules will save you time and reduce errors as you progress to more complex problems.

🔦 Level-Up Spotlight

The energy on the Moodle site has been incredible! Students have continued to collect XP points rapidly, showing great consistency and enthusiasm. Several learners have now broken through into Level 3, with others close behind at Level 2.

Overall, there’s been a noticeable rise in engagement — points are increasing across the board, and it’s fantastic to see students actively challenging themselves and earning badges. Keep the momentum going; every quiz, task, and activity counts towards your next level!

Puzzle of the Fortnight

Solution to the “Square it Up” puzzle (last time):

We were looking for two square numbers with a difference of 45.

8^2 - 7^2 = 64 - 49 = 15 (too small)

9^2 - 6^2 = 81 - 36 = 45 ✅

So the numbers were 81 and 36.

This week’s puzzle – The Fraction Riddle:

A fraction has a numerator that’s 3 less than its denominator. If both the numerator and denominator are increased by 1, the value of the fraction becomes ½.

👉 What is the original fraction?

What’s Next

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be adding even more algebra modules, continuing to expand the Moodle library, and refining existing resources based on student feedback. The progress so far this term has been fantastic — keep up the effort and enthusiasm!

Keep up the momentum — the Maths Magician is watching your progress! 🧙