Teach Primary - Issue 19.4

teachwire.net/primary 35 The perpetual myth that there are ‘maths people’ and ‘not maths people’ is damaging our pupils, says Katy Pike , so we need to nip it in the bud, now I ’m just not a maths person. ” We’ve all heard it from pupils (and maybe even colleagues or parents), but this seemingly innocent phrase can lock doors for children before they’ve even had a chance to open them. Recent polling from Mathletics found that 56 per cent of primary teachers believe the perception of ‘natural talent’ prevents pupils from achieving their potential in maths. But research consistently shows that mathematical ability develops through practice rather than being innate – so how can we tackle this misconception head-on? Growth in action Pupils need to understand that mathematical ability isn’t fixed – it develops with practice and persistence. The more children understand this notion, the more likely they are to engage, try – and try again. Try this: Draw a ‘progress path’ with stepping stones on a poster. When teaching a new maths skill, mark the starting point on the poster. Once a week, take a minute to discuss progress, asking questions such as: “Remember when division was hard? Look how far we’ve come! ”. Move the marker along the path each time the children master a skill or activity, to show pupils that practice leads to improvement. Make maths meaningful When maths connects to pupils’ interests and real-world applications, engagement naturally increases. Where you can, try and link learning to real situations or ask pupils how what they’ve learnt applies to things they’re familiar with. You’ll undoubtedly notice a boost in curiosity. Try this: Collect data about things pupils care about – favourite games, pets or weekend activities. Use maths in fun projects like designing a game with scoring, or planning a class party with a budget. These real-life examples help children see that maths plays an important role in things they enjoy. All roads lead to Rome There’s rarely just one way to solve a maths problem. By encouraging different methods to get to the end result, you’ll help children build deeper understanding. Try this: Ask pupils questions with many possible answers: “ How many ways can we make 20? ” or “ How can we work out the area of our playground? ” Have pupils explain their thinking to classmates using “ I solved it by... ” or “ My strategy was... ” Display different methods side-by-side on a wall chart so pupils can see the many different ways that reached the same conclusion. Turn mistakes into opportunities Mistakes are valuable learning tools, not failures. Help pupils see that errors can often spark other ways of thinking, leading them to the correct outcome. Try this: Present worked examples with deliberate errors that highlight common misconceptions. Say to the class: “ I need your help with this tricky problem . Can you spot where I went wrong? ”. Have pupils discuss what happened and how to fix it. This helps children see mistakes as stepping stones to understanding, not things to fear. Remove the spotlight Encouraging group working can take the pressure off individual children and builds skills like teamwork. Try this: Create a maths treasure hunt around the classroom or school, where each problem solved gives a clue to find the next one. When children work together to solve problems, they share ideas and build confidence as a team – all while having fun. Challenge stereotypes We need to allow pupils to see all kinds of people succeeding with maths to improve self-belief and help them understand just how diverse maths careers can be. Try this: Create a ‘maths jobs’ board showing diverse people using maths in different careers. Include fashion designers using shapes, musicians using patterns, sports coaches using statistics and builders using measurement. Invite parents or local businesses to talk about how they use maths at work. While these activities aren’t one-time fixes, it’s a good way to start the building blocks for a classroom culture where every pupil believes they can succeed. The message we need to reinforce is simple but powerful: maths really is for everyone. TP “I’m just not good at it” www.teachwire.net | 35 Katy Pike is head of education at Mathletics, the hosts of World Maths Day. tinyurl.com/tp-WMD25 “ F EATURE S MA THS