The Maths Project

19/09/2026

The Maths Project will get your students thinking.

Check out our free sample problems. Link in comments.

Mathematical Association of Victoria
Maths Talk - Sue Pine Consulting
Rob Vingerhoets Educational Consultancy
Math Problem Solving
MASA Mathematical Association of South Australia
The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers

18/09/2026

I've been to about 30 schools this term and everytime I walk away, I think we need to do more on estimating. Teaching students to make an educated guess helps them check if their answer makes sense.

Mathematical Association of Victoria
QAMT Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. MASA Mathematical Association of South Australia Rob Vingerhoets Educational Consultancy The Mathematical Association of Western Australia Maths Talk - Sue Pine Consulting Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority fans

18/09/2026

Mick Minas is in Brisbane on the 16th October.

The Best Way to Teach Mathematics Is…

Session Description:
This professional learning day invites primary educators to explore one of the most debated questions in mathematics education: should we prioritise explicit teaching of skills and concepts, or adopt a problem-solving approach that encourages inquiry and discovery?

Throughout the day, we will unpack what each looks like in practice and how they impact student understanding, confidence, and achievement. Through practical examples, classroom scenarios, and collaborative discussion, we will challenge the idea that this is an “either/or” decision and instead provide a framework for integrating explicit teaching with rich problem-solving opportunities. Teachers will explore strategies for balancing these approaches—when to model and scaffold, when to step back, and how to design lessons that build deep conceptual understanding.

QAMT Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc.

Maths Professional Learning for teachers & schools. Maths lesson ideas, activities, problems & resources with Peter Sullivan & Rob Vingerhoets. Explicit Teaching in Maths

12/09/2026

An answer shows what a student reached. The process reveals what they noticed, which strategy they selected, how clearly they explained and what they learned from others.

11/09/2026

Some of the highlights of our week visiting schools trialling maths problems. Thank you to Fairfield PS, Fitzroy North PS and St Columbas PS.

Off to Adelaide the week after next. You can book a free demo problem solving lesson on our website in the comments.

Mathematical Association of Victoria
MASA Mathematical Association of South Australia QAMT Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc. Rob Vingerhoets Educational Consultancy Maths Talk - Sue Pine Consulting The Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers The Mathematical Association of Western Australia Mathematical Association of New South Wales (MANSW) Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority Mathematical Association of America Canberra Mathematical Association

10/09/2026

New Blog - Problem Solving Is Back!

The Maths Project welcomes the new Victorian Department of Education mathematics guidance which has outlined a shift away from the explicit and direct instruction at all costs message that has been present for the past 18 months. Importantly they have added a new component encouraging problem solving - Support students to apply mathematics in challenging contexts

The guidance recognises an important principle: knowing mathematical facts and procedures is essential, but genuine mastery also requires students to apply that knowledge accurately, efficiently and flexibly.

The Department recommends that students encounter varied, open-ended and increasingly unfamiliar problems. These experiences require them to identify mathematical structures, connect prior knowledge, select appropriate strategies and check whether their solutions are reasonable.

Importantly, this is not a choice between explicit teaching and problem-solving. The guidance recommends explicitly teaching the knowledge, skills and problem-solving processes students need before supporting them to apply their learning independently. Teachers can initially model how to interpret a problem, distinguish known information from unknown information, plan an approach and evaluate a solution. As students become more confident, these supports can gradually be reduced.

Across Australian and New Zealand jurisdictions, the message is consistent: foundational knowledge matters, but students must also learn to use that knowledge flexibly. The Maths Project supports this shared direction by giving schools a practical way to embed challenging tasks, mathematical discussion, student explanations and reflection within their existing programs.
Mark McKelson - Founder The Maths Project


Maths Talk - Sue Pine Consulting
Rob Vingerhoets Educational Consultancy
Mathematical Association of Victoria

A new approach to problem solving The Maths Project is a problem-solving and communication platform where students solve rich mathematical challenges and create videos explaining their reasoning. By making mathematical thinking visible, teachers gain deeper insight into student understanding while s

07/09/2026

Looking to strengthen problem solving across your school? Book a Zoom to explore how The Maths Project can support student engagement, mathematical reasoning and teacher confidence.

04/09/2026

Book your Term 4 Demonstration Lesson or Zoom Call with The Maths Project. The Maths Project is growing and learning with every school visit. Join us in bringing problem solving back into the classroom.

Maths Talk - Sue Pine Consulting

Mathematical Association of Victoria
MASA Mathematical Association of South Australia
QAMT Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc.
The Mathematical Association of Western Australia
Mathematical Association of New South Wales (MANSW)

Contact The Maths ProjectIf you would like to book a Zoom or demo please book a time from the options below. Otherwise all queries to Email: [email protected] Phone: 0412 428 542New Zealand Schools all enquiries to Sue Pine: [email protected] Book a Lesson Demonstration, Zoom Dem...

03/09/2026

We had a great time with Grade 5 at Mount Eliza North Primary School yesterday. We are continuing to trial problems in classrooms for The Maths Project across Australia and New Zealand.

Book in a chat with us at themathsproject

Maths Talk - Sue Pine Consulting
Rob Vingerhoets Educational Consultancy
Mathematical Association of Victoria
MASA Mathematical Association of South Australia
QAMT Queensland Association of Mathematics Teachers Inc.

01/09/2026

Give students time to think, then discuss.. We don't need to tell them everything. The Maths Project is now live and ready for schools.