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…where the magic of learning comes alive. Milton Maths!. Presentation to Parents Wednesday, 20 th November 2013. Aims. T o inform parents of the reasons for developing a different approach to the learning and teaching of numeracy.
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…where the magic of learning comes alive Milton Maths! Presentation to Parents Wednesday, 20th November 2013
Aims • To inform parents of the reasons for developing a different approach to the learning and teaching of numeracy. • To discuss the reasons for choosing New Zealand numeracy as the core to our teaching. • To share the structure, approaches and resources of New Zealand numeracy. • To highlight where we are as a school and where we wish to be. • To answer any questions.
Reasons for Change • Does this seem familiar? • And this?
Reasons for Change: Within School The INCAS results from last year (2011/12) were analysed and it was found that: • The mental maths scores were lower than the general maths scores • The levels of achievement decrease as the children get older • Most children (80% or above) did not achieve an average score or above • Girls are not performing as well as boys – indeed only 1 girl achieved a score 6 months+ above her chronological age and only once
Reasons for Change: Nationally • Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN): • Annual survey involving P4, P7 and S2 children. • P4 and P7 boys outperform girls. • Level of attainment decreases as children get older. • Largest drop is between P7 and S2. • Mental Maths: Levels decrease as children get older. • Attitudes to numeracy: Start positive and decline by P7.
What is happening locally? • Two years ago: presentation from Education Scotland about the use of Maths Recovery approaches. • Highland have invested money into training a core group of teachers as Maths Recovery Teachers – adopts same approach to NZ Numeracy. • Highland have developed a progression for Numeracy: The Highland Numeracy Progression. This is based on both Maths Recovery and New Zealand Numeracy. • The school have spoken to advisors and visited schools in Moray who are implementing best practise in Mathematics and have implemented NZ Numeracy in their schools.
Impact of NZ Maths in Moray: Learning and Teaching Before Infrequent mental maths sessions Questions focussed on answers only Written calculations/ textbooks Independent work- quiet time After: Frequent Focus on ‘how’ the children found the answer- explaining thinking + strategies used Games and activities- mental maths strategies Pair/group- dialogue
Impact of NZ Maths in Moray: Learning and Teaching Before Unaware of all mental strategies- Children and staff. Children bored of doing the same thing in maths. After: Deeper understanding of strategies- embedded. Children more confident and willing to have a go and tell you if they have used a different strategy. Children say “Yay- it’s maths.”
Structure of New Zealand Numeracy • An initial 1:1 interview with the child. • Incredible insight into the child’s exact thinking across the range of numeracy. • Results are used to group children based on their current stage of thinking. Aim is for 4 groups. • Small group size allows time to discuss strategies and explain thinking. Allows for flexibility so a child can move easily from one group to another if they are showing they’ve grasped a concept.
Structure of New Zealand Numeracy • Daily lessons are split into: • A warm up on an area that all children need to work on e.g. counting forwards and backwards this can be differentiated. • The children engage in two of the following each day: • Taught session (with the teacher) • Practice session (follow up task from the work with the teacher) • Game (to practise and reinforce basic facts specific to each child) • Knowledge activity (to practise and reinforce basic facts or another area of knowledge that the child is working on) • A reflection time for children to feedback about their learning. • During the week children will also be assessed on the current basic facts they are working on in a quick 1 minute quiz. Older children can plot this information on a graph to see their progress over time.
Knowledge vs Strategy • The link between knowledge and strategy Creates new knowledge through strategy Knowledge Strategy Provides the foundation for new strategies
What is knowledge? • The information that can be recalled instantly (without calculation). • Counting sequences, numbers before and after. • Recognising patterns (fingers, dots, dominoes, tens frames…) • Place Value • Basic Facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division)
Why basic facts? • Instant recall of facts requires no thinking. • As the child builds their bank of basic facts they are able to use these to solve problems with more complex numbers.
Strategy • Research has shown that in daily life at least 75% of all calculations are done mentally by adults. • Teaching children a range of ways to solve problems without needing to rely solely on written calculations. • Much more emphasis on direct teaching of strategies than before. • Small groups allows the teacher to see and hear children’s thinking (therefore showing their strategies). It allows children to see strategies that others have used.
Strategy • Problems are given to children within a context making it more applicable to real life. • Example of a student using a strategy to solve a division problem mentally. • Younger student solving subtraction and fraction questions. • Early addition.
UsingMaterials ImagingMaterials Working only with numbers Resources • For each new concept or strategy taught children are introduced to it using materials (even in P7). • The materials are later hidden encouraging the children to visualise them. • The children then apply the strategy they’ve learnt to larger numbers without the use of materials. • The materials help the children to UNDERSTAND the concept rather than just earning a set of rules, tricks or a recipe to solve the problem.
Where we are as a school • Intensive staff training (teaching and non-teaching staff). • Currently 2 staff members trained in Maths Recovery. 1 more presently being trained. In whole of Highland 38 teachers are being trained (3 of those in this school)! • Involvement in development of Highland Numeracy Progression and Probationer Training. • Requests from other schools to visit MOL to see what we’re doing.
Where we are as a school • As part of our 3 year School Improvement Plan, since the October holidays all teaching staff are now implementing strategies from New Zealand Numeracy and Maths Recovery in their classrooms. • Investment in resources to support children’s understanding of Numeracy. • With any new change, it takes time to embed. • Not a quick fix. Two years to get to this stage to ensure we are doing it the best way possible. • Timing of parent meeting was to ensure all staff were confident and using the same approach.
Where we are going • Future parent workshops to take place looking at how strategies and knowledge is taught. Transparency will be evident at all times! • Invitations into classrooms to see Numeracy in action! • Creation of a parent information booklet to support parent understanding of the strategies being taught. • To enable students to feel confident in Numeracy and be able to use it in everyday life. • To provide children with a solid foundation to ensure they are able to better grasp concepts in the Academies.
