Mathematics pervades all aspects of our lives as citizens, in our homes and in the workplace. A fundamental purpose of primary education is to ensure students acquire competence in mathematics. Students learn mathematics to interpret and communicate quantitative and logical ideas accurately and to recognise the importance of mathematics in our changing society.
Through explicitly teaching mathematics skills and processes our students at Cable Beach Primary School will:
- Develop competence, enjoyment, and appreciation of mathematics
- Acquire mathematical skills and knowledge which can be confidently applied in everyday life
- Understand the dynamic role of mathematics in social and technological change
- Use technology appropriately and effectively to support the learning of mathematics and in carrying out mathematical activities in context
Numeracy Daily Reviews
A major issue in learning is the inevitable, predictable, and natural process of forgetting. Unless we review what we’ve learned, our memory of that information diminishes; we remember fewer details and fewer connections and find it harder to retrieve what we have previously learned. An effective evidence based approach to combatting the forgetting process is Daily Review. At Cable Beach Primary School teachers deliver a Numeracy Daily Review to practice, consolidate and automatise knowledge, skills and strategies to move them from short term to long term memory.
Basic Number Fact Time Trial
To support students transferring basic number facts to long term memory all classes at CBPS conduct daily Basic Number Fact Time Trials. In a time trial, students answer correctly as many problems as they can in a short, timed period. Time trials help students improve their fluency by providing many opportunities to respond at a fast rate and they give teachers a direct and frequent measure of students’ learning. Focusing attention and effort on timing students also increases their awareness and rate of performance. Using daily timed trials in the practice stage of learning is an excellent way to build fluency.
Numeracy Programs
ORIGO – Stepping Stones
For Pre-Primary the program is designed to provide multiple experiences young learners need to foster their understanding and development of foundational mathematics concepts. Stepping Stones includes a variety of developmentally appropriate opportunities for meaningful discourse and engaging hands-on activities.
For Grades 1-2 the program is designed to provide meaningful discourse and engaging, hands-on activities early elementary students need to authentically learn mathematics concepts and skills. Stepping Stones offers many opportunities for students to deepen mathematical understanding by using strategic language structures and visual models in a developmentally appropriate progression.
For Grades 3-6 the program is designed to continue the development and extension of mathematics concepts, including problem solving and computational strategies. Stepping Stones provides the rich, interactive learning experiences that foster deep conceptual understanding and critical thinking skills.
PR1ME
PR1ME Mathematics is a world-class program based on the effective teaching and learning practices of top performing countries in international studies. PR1ME Australian Edition provides teachers with an explicit model for teaching concepts, strategies and problem solving and completely covers the Australian Curriculum. Each chapter treats a mathematical concept in-depth, with a series of tightly scaffolded lessons that gradually build students’ understandings. Each lesson starts with an explicit, teacher-led activity called ‘Let’s Learn’ that models mathematical thinking and problem-solving. This is followed by guided activities to allow students to apply their understandings in Let’s Do. Let’s Practice activities then enable students to apply and consolidate mathematical skills and concepts. The carefully sequenced, practical way of teaching maths is supportive for struggling students, with enough challenge for capable students with graduated difficulty incorporated into all practice activities.
