Essential Primary Mathematics

This book aims to support student teachers and current practitioners in teaching mathematics in effective and creative ways.

If you are teaching or learning to teach primary mathematics, this is the toolkit to support you! Not only does it cover the essential knowledge and understanding that you and your pupils need to know, it also offers 176 great ideas for teaching primary mathematics - adaptable for use within different areas of mathematics and for different ages and abilities. Tackling children’s misconceptions in each topic area and differentiation through open-ended tasks and elements of choice, the book encourages you to think deeply about the teaching of the primary mathematics curriculum. The classroom activities, which are simple to resource and use, support you in meeting the Teachers’ Standards securely and encourage children to: Think deeply about mathematics and to challenge themselves Develop mathematical independence Engage in mathematical talk Work collaboratively with others to further understanding Whether you are just getting started in your teaching career or more experienced you will find a wealth of innovative activities to support you in teaching primary mathematics in effective and creative ways. "This book is an absolute must for every primary teacher. The perfect blend of subject knowledge, common misconceptions, pupil activities and self-assessment questions will support all those who are feeling slightly less than confident about teaching a mathematical topic. It will also be invaluable to experienced teachers and subject leaders who wish to think more deeply about how to teach mathematics effectively." Sue Davis, Primary PGCE Course Leader and Lecturer in Mathematics Education, University of Leicester, UK "This book has the conversational style of an excellent mentor and/or tutor of primary mathematics. It offers advice and guidance on how to be an effective teacher of mathematics whilst still drawing the reader’s attention to the importance of developing good subject knowledge, and how this can be addressed. Mathematical concepts are explained with reference to their theoretical underpinning and are then set in the context of real learning opportunities that illustrate good pedagogy. There is a real emphasis on teaching for learning, and this is most evident in the introductory chapter which provides a brief discussion of the big issues currently being debated in the field of primary mathematics. The consistent format of the subject chapters supports the reader’s ability to plan and teach a wide range of appropriate activities based on rich mathematics. These are all neatly illustrated by children’s drawings which bring the book to life.This is an all encompassing text for any student or teacher of mathematics and will feature on my highly recommended reading list." Paula Stone, Senior Lecturer Primary Education (Mathematics), Canterbury Christ Church University, UK "This book is ideal for student and practicing teachers alike. The user-friendly format such as the overview of contents at the beginning of each chapter and the highlighting of key misconceptions in each area, make it easy to locate relevant information. Each chapter evolves logically through subject knowledge and progression in learning for children. This book stands out from other texts I have used as there is an extremely helpful section at the end of each chapter which provides suggested classroom activities with associated learning objectives for each area of mathematics. As a final year student, I only wish this book had been available to me at the beginning of my course!" Shelley Rogers, Student Teacher, University of Chichester, UK "This book approaches the teaching of primary mathematics with a clear ethos, which is explained in the first chapter and then pervades all the suggestions and discussions which follow. The author deals with issues such as turning children’s misconceptions and ‘mistakes’ into learning opportunities, provoking the children into communicating their reasoning and differentiating lessons in ways that empower rather than categorise children. The author’s experience of having taught and observed hundreds of mathematics lessons is distilled into the essence of primary mathematics teaching." Dr Marcus Witt, Senior Lecturer in Primary and Early Years Mathematics Education, University of the West of England, UK "The theory sections of the book are really detailed which helps to provide a secure knowledge base for teaching primary mathematics. I especially like the way that the book is laid out; it is really easy to navigate. I love how the common misconceptions are outlined and explained in boxes separate to the body of the text but are also re-listed at the end of a chapter so that you could revise the potential issues which may arise before you start to teach a particular topic. The activities are well organised and adaptable but it is useful to see which age range each activity is suggested for at a glance, alongside the learning objective." Natalie Ridler, NQT

How would you teach the concept of odd and even numbers to a child? What is the probability of throwing a three on a six-sided die? How could you help a child who is confusing ratio and proportion? By seamlessly combining subject knowledge and pedagogy, the second edition of Understanding and Teaching Primary Mathematics will not only build your own confidence in mathematics, but also equip you with the curriculum understanding and pedagogical know-how to excel at teaching maths to children of any age. Written in a clear and accessible way, the book guides you through the fundamental ideas which are at the heart of teaching and learning maths, with special focus on observation and assessment of primary and early years children. Hallmark features Links to the classroom and research are provided throughout to help you relate educational theory to your own teaching practice. Portfolio and audit tasks allow you to assess your own subject knowledge and build up a portfolio of evidence to gain Qualified Teacher Status. The accompanying extra resources offers topic-specific self-audits for you to monitor your progress, exemplar lesson plans, a range of Portfolio Tasks mapped directly to current teacher standards and web-links to up-to-date online resources. New to this edition Resource Inspiration boxes give inviting examples of different activities to do with your class to provide inspiration for your own teaching. High quality videos with corresponding discussion, have been expertly selected from Teachers TV help to widen your skills and develop your practice, offering tips, lesson ideas and classroom resources.

Numerous examples from early years and primary classrooms are included as well as checklists and helpful advice. There are also suggestions for further reading to assist trainee and newly qualified teachers in meeting the Standards for Initial Teacher Training and Induction.

Now in its third edition, Mathematics in the Primary School has been updated to reflect recent mathematics curriculum documentation and revised standards for QTS. Key areas include: The role of talk in learning maths Teacher questioning Development of children’s reasoning Creative engagement with maths Assessment for learning and self assessment Suggested resources for teachers including ICT Providing a coherent set of principles for teaching primary mathematics across the main topics in the curriculum, the authors explore children’s understanding of key areas of mathematics, at reception, infant and junior levels. Important principles and teaching approaches are identified, including the use of calculators and computers, and there is an emphasis on mental mathematics and problem solving supporting key issues raised by the Williams review (2008). Case studies are used throughout to illustrate how different teaching approaches are put into practice and how children respond to them, and there is advice on planning, organisation and assessment of mathematical learning in the classroom. Emphasising the importance of teachers’ own mathematical knowledge and offering clear guidance and practical advice, this book is essential reading for students, NQTs and practising teachers with a focus on primary mathematics.