Adrian is practising multiplication. Not just simple times tables anymore – now one of the terms is a double-digit number, so it’s two for one and some addition and memory training as well.

I make up the problems for him by randomly sprinkling numbers on the page. I usually skip one (too easy) and start at two. Work my way from two to nine and put each number on a random line in the first position, and repeat that until there’s a number on each line. Three cycles gives me 24 lines which is roughly what I can fit on a normal page of squared paper. Then put a multiplication sign on each line. Then do three cycles from two to nine again for the first digit of the second term, and then the same again for the second digit. Voila – random maths problems on demand.