We Learn Maths By DOING

I often wonder if we play lip service to the way children learn.  If we spend time with pre-schoolers we see them constantly playing and through their play and questioning and interaction with the teachers the learn various skills and concepts.

Yet when we look at primary maths' learning there is often an emphasis on numbers and numerals. Yet these are quite abstract concepts.  I am sure we would not just a put a book of words in front of students and expect them to learn.

As a Maths Adviser to schools/teachers and then as a private consultant I encouraged teachers to use the following:

Do

Say

Write

When fluent with "Do" ask the students to explain what they were "Doing", When fluent with "Doing" then "Write" about what you said and did!!  This then leads to mastery of the concepts.


A couple of years ago I saw a FB post in response to  request for feedback about a Measurement Activity created by a Canadian Maths Teacher.  The response:
"This is a great measurement activity but we are an iPad school so it would be great if it could be created for the iPad"
To suggest that I saw RED was a bit of an under statement !  How does a children learn what a metre a cm, a gram, a kilogram, a litre etc through manipulating abstract concepts of electronic screens. They need to measure length, estimate mass if they are going to understand the concepts of measurement.


You probably are thinking, what brought this on Len?  This post on FB originally from Jo Boaler
It could be a great poster in every maths class and teachers staffroom

 

Some activities to get you started.

These could be arranged as Stations around the room for students to explore and complete.