Maths

Relearning mathematics through the eyes of children

At Essex Heights Primary School, we are constantly thinking about how children learn mathematics. It’s easy for us as adults to forget how unfamiliar and abstract mathematical concepts can feel to a young learner. To teach effectively, we need to step back and consider how children perceive numbers and patterns, which often differs from how we understand them.

One of the best examples of this is the concept of zero. Today, zero seems fundamental, but it hasn’t always been so. Ancient civilizations like the Sumerians and Babylonians used placeholders for hundreds and thousands of years, but they didn’t treat zero as a number. Aristotle dismissed the idea that “nothing” could hold value. It wasn’t until Hindu mathematicians formalized zero that it became essential to mathematics, opening the door to the number systems we use today.

This history reminds us that even the simplest mathematical ideas can take time to fully understand. Ultimately, our number system isn't entirely natural as it was created by humans. For children, numbers and their relationships are not intuitive, they have to be explored and discovered. This is why we focus on creating opportunities for children to experience numbers in many ways, particularly with the concept of ten, which underpins our base-10 number system.

At Essex Heights, we take this approach seriously and focus on understanding how children learn. To support this, we draw on the work of experts like George Booker, who highlights the importance of hands-on exploration in building mathematical understanding of the number ten. We also use rich, well-designed activities created by other respected educators to help students encounter ideas like ten in multiple forms.

Mathematics is a way of thinking and understanding the world. At Essex Heights, we are committed to helping children build a deep understanding of math by focusing on how they learn best. This approach helps us guide them towards confidence and flexibility in their mathematical thinking.

Australian Mathematics Competition

We recently published the results from this year's Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC). A number of our students achieved outstanding results, earning Distinctions and High Distinctions for their exceptional performances. Congratulations to all students who participated!

Certificates have been received and will be presented at School Assembly on Monday.

Kelvin Tang

Numeracy Specialist