19/08/2026
I'm in Japan on holiday.
I've spent a wonderful morning browsing a Japanese bookshop in Nagasaki. One thing that has really struck me while looking at Japanese maths books is how remarkably simple task design is. There are clear representations, logical progression and very little visual noise.l and clutter. The mathematics is allowed to do the talking. That simplicity creates accessibility.
The pupils won't be spending their cognitive energy working out what the question wants them to do. The structure of the task makes the mathematics visible.
It has made me reflect on how often we add more: more context, more colour, more instructions, more steps, more layers and ultimately more barriers.
Lots of food for thought for some exciting projects coming up in the next academic year(s).
