Essentials
At NIS we…
- Focus on developing and reinforcing mathematical thinking rather than isolated skills and knowledge
- Ensure a balance of productive dispositions, conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, communication and reasoning and problem-solving in our Maths teaching
- Explicitly teach the problem-solving process and problem-solving strategies
- Treat all students as mathematicians and instill enthusiasm for and enjoyment of exploring and learning about Maths
- Provide choice so that students can be autonomous in deciding what they need to learn
- Use an inquiry approach and encourage student questions
- Develop skills and knowledge through regular Maths Talks-Number Talks, Pattern Talks and Estimation Talks
- Write planners on Atlas for each Maths unit
- Agree on summative assessment tasks for each Maths unit
- Use four criteria to assess progress-Knowledge and Understanding, Pattern, Communication and Approach to Problem-solving
Core practices
- Number Talks, Pattern Talks & Estimation Talks take place once each in an 8-day cycle
- Teaching the problem-solving strategies (using the language of the Problem-Solving Toolkit) is built into the time-line
- Students are immersed in inquiry, including rich problems
- Reflection on learning is a key part of the process. Maths journals include writing about Maths.
- We look for opportunities to incorporate Chinese culture into our Maths teaching, e.g visits, guest speakers, Chinese vocabulary & strategies
Websites:
- Grade level OneNote notebooks
- My Maths (password required)
- nrich.maths (University of Cambridge)
- Youcubed
- www.interactiveresources.co.uk (password required)
- Source for Estimation Talks
- Source for Pattern Talks
- Interactive Maths dictionary
- Topmarks online games
Books: (Available in the Resource Room or the library)
Teaching Student-centred Mathematics: Developmentally Appropriate Instruction for Grades 3-5/PreK-K2 by J. A. Van de Walle et al
- Heinemann Maths Investigations
- Problem-solving Toolkit
- Groups Work
- BEAM We can do it!
- Concept Cartoons for Maths
- Abacus books-various
- About Teaching Mathematics: A K-8 Resource by Marilyn Burns
- Doing Math in Morning Meeting
PDFs:
- Primary Maths at NIS
- Math Criteria PYP student version
- Advice for parents
- Maths problem-solving process