25/11/2024
Ideal if you want your learners to SEE, HEAR and FEEL the maths!
POV: Often they are not used effectively and more often than not they are not used at all 😭
Using manipulatives and representations purposefully can support children to develop visual images. These are beneficial to all children but are paramount for learners with dyscalculia.
To harness their power, grown ups must help children to understand the clear links between the manipulatives or representations and the mathematical ideas they represent, and why they are using them.
💡Ideas here point👆
📧 more in this weeks 'Not that but THIS' ~ it's in your INBOX!
15/11/2024
The right kind of maths games can support children’s maths development.
We all know that play is an important and natural mode of learning for young children.
In keeping with this understanding, research shows that playing these 4 types of math games 👀 increases young children’s understanding of number concepts.
Let me show you some Purposeful, playful ways with... MANIPULATIVE GAMES,
GRID GAMES ,
SHORT PATH GAMES and
LONG PATH GAMES
in this weeks ‘NOT THIS BUT THAT’ newsletter ✍️
Have you signed up yet?
30/10/2024
Let me help you bolster your pedagogical repertoire of Number fluency Games for use at home or in the classroom by offering you the opportunity to use one of our MOST POPULAR GAMES (IT'S ALREADY HELPED HUNDREDS OF LEARNERS).
This particular resource focuses on the 'hard multiplication facts' you can read about those on our website.
Comment: FACT FLUENCY to receive this FREE DOWNLOAD with it’s visual representations will help you to develop a strong 'number feel' and develop efficient calculation strategies.
Simple and enjoyable to play!
Happy playing :-)
13/10/2024
I'm not here to question the pedagogical value of maths games per se, just to conclude that some maths games have greater gains in learning than others for reasons you may not have given thought to...
I urge you to give this some considerable thought if you're using MATHS GAMES to achieve fact fluency.
I’ll be talking all things maths games in this weeks newsletter and (as always) sending out a FREE maths game for you to try in the classroom or/ and at home. See you in your inbox! 📧
01/10/2024
Who's used these with their learners yet? 🙋♀️
' SHOW IT 3 Ways' was a FREE DOWNLOAD included in this weeks NEWSLETTER.
This routine or RETREIVAL practice task (depending on how you use it) will actively develop number sense, confidence and help master fact fluency over time. A high quality, impactful resources.
Wondering how to use it? Here's how I use it:
🔑 Ask learners to think of other representations that = the same thing. Learners could show you other 'examples' and sometimes they include non examples too.
Once learners have had time to RETREIVE what they know/ remember they can pass it to a learning buddy who then adds their thinking to the task mat before it's passed back.
Time is given to learners to discuss their learning. A great opportunity to address misconceptions too...
How will you use this TASK?
You can try more READY - FOR - USE FACT FLUENCY RESOURCE FOR FREE each week by subscribing to our newsletter.
✍️ Head to the website to SUBSCRIBE
How will you use this task? 🤔
29/09/2024
Worksheets should come with a health hazard. Narrow, procedural approaches to learning maths facts. A VILLAIN of fact fluency.
I talk all things WORKSHEETS in this weeks newsletter and discuss what it really takes to help learners learn their maths facts in a way that allows them to access and use these facts fluently and FLEXIBLY.
Because there are better ways...
🔑 Our Fact fluency routines actively develop numbersense, confidence, honour and leverage learners errors and help fluency over time. High quality, impactful practice.
And You can try our FACT FLUENCY RESOURCE FOR FREE. Each week a new TASK drops into your inbox. Use these READY FOR USE as ROUTINES or RETREIVAL TASKS.
There is, of course a TREASURE TROVE of other authentic, fact fluency resources on our website too!
18/09/2024
Replace common, existing teaching practices with approaches that are more effective—healthier, if you will—for your learners.
Let me drawing your attention to widespread practices around building FLUENCY WITH NUMBERS that have little support in research or professional wisdom and offer alternatives that have greater IMPACT.
Each newsletter presents the research and practice SO THAT you understand BOTH what not to do, and what to do, to improve learners fluency with numbers.
This week: THE MATHS MAD MINUTE!
worksheets with simple drill-and-practice basic facts math problems. Learners are given a short period of time (usually three minutes or so) to complete as many questions as they can 🤢
But there is a BETTER way ➡️ LEFT to RIGHT instead... Your learners will ❤️ it! All the details in our new email series: NOT THAT BUT THIS
Signed ✍️ up to receive our 📧 ?
Numberfluency Numberfluency | Numbersense | Early Learning | Primary Teachers | Education | Numeracy | Maths | Primaryschool |
08/09/2024
BLETHER | verb | Mainly Scots
A person who likes to chat or talk at length
One of my favourite Scottish sayings… and here it is making its way into our repertoire of resources!
A wee blether (TALK) is central to Mathematical learning. Children need to be encouraged to talk mathematics not just about mathematics. Talk really has the potential to be such a powerful TOOL in learning and using mathematics
You're going to LOVE ❤️ using these FACT FLUENCY Retreival Tasks like these ones...
Asking children ROUTINELY to verbalise their thinking and accept what they say (including their wrong answers) helps to unearth misconceptions and learn from their mistakes. In this way we are helping them to become MATHEMATICALLY POWERFUL!
I’ll include some examples from learners I’ve been working with in STORIES this week.
And I'll be sening these out as DOWNLOADS in this weeks NEWSLETTER. Are you signed up yet?!
18/08/2024
For years (and counting), the education community has been fighting over the same issue:
Which is more important, understanding or fluent recall FROM memory?
Why should we have to choose between these as though they are mutually exclusive? You can have the best of both worlds.
Here at Fluency with Numbers HQ we advocate for both because BOTH are important.
We’ll help You raise children who...
1. BUILD an UNDERSTANDING of number facts (the discovery that numbers are full of patterns and relationships)
2. Learn reasoning strategies
3. Work on AUTOMATICITY (quick recall) to become TRULY fluent with numbers.
‼️ Fluency doesn’t just happen! ‼️ Don’t leave it to chance.
You probably are thinking....I know this....the question is how?
Make sure you're FOLLOWING along 🔔 as I transfer the latest research in FLUENCY with numbers into actionable and practical ideas and resources. Let me show you easy to replicate ways to build early number skills now so that numeracy doesn't become a struggle later... You can help your child LOVE ❤️ Numeracy and Maths even if you don't!
13/07/2024
This simple concept – 'the retrieval effect’ – should become the bedrock of our teaching for long term learning.
Why? Because it supports learners memory retention.
Here's a classroom based study that used the 3x and 4x multiplication tables. Students practised one of these using flashcards for retrieval, and the other using traditional chanting out loud (a form of restudy, with no retrieval needed).
And the findings? 👀
Active retrieval is better than rote rehearsal!
⬇️
Taking a wee Summer break but I'll be back in a few weeks (just before we go back to school) with easy to replicate retrieval practice ideas for multiplication 🙌
23/06/2024
Learners still forgetting their number facts despite building conceptual understanding and number sense?
Have you considered the fascinating research into desirable difficulties such as spacing, retrieval and variation because these CAN lead to better outcomes for learners. . .
Once learners have successfully Encoded information, (build concpetul understanding and number sense in numeracy and maths) we need to ensure that those memories are stored and can be retrieved.
This is really easy to implement and it's exactly how we encourage you to use our Mastering Multiplication resource (more on that in the next post ---> 👀 )
Papers which i’ll post link for in stories too:
Interleaved Practice Improves Mathematics Learning
Author(s): Doug Rohrer, Robert F. Dedrick, and Sandra Stershic
Spacing and Interleaving of Study and Practice Author(s): Shana K. Carpenter
The Effects of Overlearning and Distributed Practise on the Retention of Mathematics Knowledge
Author(s): Doug Rohrer and Kelli Taylor
The Benefit of Interleaved Mathematics Practice is not limited to Superficially Similar kinds of Problems
Author(s): Doug Rohrer, Robert F. Dedrick & Kaleena Burges
10/06/2024
So, you've downloaded the FREE deck of MASTERING MULTIPLICATION concept cards and you're what to do with them 🤔 Have you tried these playful ways yet?
So many ways to play!
And if I told you these these playful ways to learn also offer learners opportunities to:
⭐️Discover patterns and relations
⭐️ Helps to ensure reasoning strategies become automatic
Would you believe me?
Head to the our website where you'll find full details and videos of 'ways to play'.
What's your favourite way to use MASTERING MULTIPLICATION?
11/05/2024
I can gurantee you will not regret taking the time to find out what multiplication bonds your learners knows...
In fact, it’s a great place to start!
Download the 'inter-view' from our website now. . .
24/04/2024
Focusing on MEANINGFUL MEMORISATION is what we’re about around here and if you'd like actionable ways to actually put this into practice (it's easy!) at home and in the classroom you won't want to miss the next email in our mastering multiplication series.
I'm working on MEANINGFUL MEMORISATION in Primary 7 classes this term to help raise attainment. Regrettably, if basic multiplication facts are not learned during the primary school years, it is highly unlikely they will be practised in a structured manner in secondary school (Steel & Funnell, 2001).
Children need to be fluent with multiplication times tables in order to access much of the Maths curriculum. Without fluency and quick recall of multiplication times tables facts, maths becomes unconnected and confusing. Sounds of ‘I can’t do Maths’ may ring out around our classrooms as children feel a spiral of failure and frustration.
Join the Clan 📧 See you in your inbox!
08/04/2024
Finding memorising multiplication facts BORING, PAINFUL, IRRELEVANT , PUNISHING and INSURMOUNTABLE for your children?
Want to better support your learner as they develop mathematical robustness, flexible understanding and fluency of multiplication facts?
No more relying solely on rules and algorithms! Foster a deep understanding of number fact, equipping YOUR LEARNERS with the knowledge needed to excel MATHEMATICALLY.
Let me show you how to transform learning times tables into an engaging and empowering experience. Watch your learners multiplication skills flourish!
See you in your inbox for this 3 Part EMAIL series!
We see you checkin’ out the subscribe button ✉️
(Do it?!!! Do it!!! Do it!!!)
24/03/2024
Many learners still get to the end of primary school without well developed NUMBER SENSE.
Number sense is considered internationally to be 'an important ingredients in maths teaching & Learning.' (Yang & Li, 2018)
Maths resources commercially available often do not nurture the development of number sense nor do they match what research recommends...
If you'd like to support number sense at home or in the classroom you'll want to read our latest BLOG...
'What no one is telling you about Number Sense'
You'll find it full of:
❤️ Theory
❤️ Practical Support
❤️Impactful Resources
Happy reading! Jx
17/03/2024
By the time children leave primary school, we would like them to have a well-developed sense of number and a deep understanding of place value.
Our month long email series has expanded on the key ideas 💡 and suggested mathematical activities which will help to develop these important aspects of mathematics.
Here are 3 more important aspects of PLACE VALUE:
Find 'Ways to play' and FREE downloads in todays newsletter (check your email!) or click the link in bio to find them in our latest blog!
Jx
17/02/2024
Once children have developed a sense of the numbers up to ten, the next step is for learners to have a strong 'sense of ten'.
Aside: This is not to say that young children will not also have an awareness of much larger numbers. Indeed, there is no reason why children should not explore larger numbers WHILE working in depth on 'ten-ness'
Ideas 💡 GALORE in this weeks newsletter as we continue this months number sense series AND a worthy FREEBIE...
Our ICONIC populated TEN FRAMES to develop a sense of ten and place value understanding.
See you in your INBOX! Jx