Numeracy

Numeracy

Mathematics is a priority area for Edithvale Primary School. Our Mathematics program stresses the development of the individual and relies heavily on the use of structured teaching materials.

All teachers at Edithvale Primary follow the ‘Booker’ Sequence for teaching Maths. This developmental sequence is used for teaching all place value/number skills and four processes: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The purpose is to help students have a strong understanding of number concepts.

Students will be encouraged to set goals and discuss their progress and achievements throughout the year with their peers and teachers.

Essential Assessment is the program teachers use to assess student learning and plan for future lessons. My Numeracy provides students with an online differentiated learning program that takes results from assessments completed in class and enables the students to practice the skills they had difficulty with. Teachers are able to monitor their development and see the growth in their learning

The lesson structure is based on four main teaching areas: Review, Fluency, Discover, sharing, and reflection.

Review – Students review the work completed in previous lessons. Teachers use this time to acknowledge student work and address any misconceptions.

Fluency – Maths fluency is the ability to recall the answers to basic maths questions automatically and without hesitation.

Discover – In the discovery phase, the students are explained explicitly the task they are to complete independently. Students have the opportunity to work in smaller groups with teacher support.

Sharing and reflection – Students have the opportunity to celebrate their learning by sharing and reflecting. All students are encouraged to participate in sharing strategies used and listening to how their peers engaged in their learning.

Students will have many opportunities to take part in hands-on learning activities and open-ended tasks that will aim to challenge and engage them, whilst allowing them to make their own discoveries and share their learning with others.

Mathematics is organised around the interaction of three content strands and four proficiency strands.

The content strands are Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. They describe what is to be taught and learnt.

The proficiency strands are Understanding, Fluency, Problem Solving, and Reasoning. They describe how content is explored or developed, that is, the thinking and doing of mathematics. This approach has been adopted to ensure students’ proficiency in mathematical skills develops throughout the curriculum and becomes increasingly sophisticated over the levels of schooling.

We aim to ensure that our students:

• are confident, creative users and communicators of mathematics,
• develop an increasingly sophisticated understanding of mathematical concepts and fluency with processes, and can pose and solve problems and reason in Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability
• recognise connections between the areas of mathematics and other disciplines and appreciate mathematics as an accessible and enjoyable discipline to study.

The Mathematics Program is well resourced in the junior and senior schools with concrete materials, games, and equipment.