Numeracy Learning

Numeracy School Improvement Team (SIT) Update 

Since the beginning of the year, the Numeracy SIT have been planning and reviewing the implementation of our whole school maths moderation. This term, the SIT team is preparing the maths moderation task for term 4. Using feedback from students and staff, the moderation task will build on what was implemented from term 1. The process will provide an opportunity for students to display their understanding of mathematical concepts using a problem solving approach. Later in term 4, year level teams will meet to compare students' assessments using an agreed checklist, allowing for consistency across year levels.

Numeracy Lessons Around the School

Year 5 

Year 5 students have been exploring fractions, decimals and percentages using the Launch, Explore, Summarise model. An example is the following question that the students were given:

4.5+4.5+4.5+4.5+4.5+4.5 = 

Find as many different ways to solve the problem.

During this task students were encouraged to use the four maths proficiencies. In particular, problem solving and fluency.

Some specific strategies used included:

• split strategy
• grouping numbers
• finding patterns
• repeated addition
• using mixed number knowledge

Students were given enabling and extending prompts to allow everyone opportunities to engage and extend themselves. 

Below are some of the student responses and the task.

Year 6

Year 6 students have been exploring data representation and interpretation. Students completed a drop reaction test, which involved recording the reaction time of catching a ruler. This allowed for the gathering of primary data. The next step was to accurately record the data in a table and present this in an appropriate comparative graph, using Microsoft Excel. The final step of this task asked students to make comparisons and draw conclusions between each data set.

Below are some photos of the students’ work and the task.

Foundation

Foundation students and teachers have been benefiting from visits by Hannah Marino, our Launch, Explore, Summarise expert. Hannah worked with students on subitising skills and part-part-whole number sense.

During this task students were encouraged to make the two groups the same. They had to think about the best way that they could visually represent their two groups of cupcakes. Some students decided to add or take more cupcakes away from the original amount. 

Trial and error was encouraged as a way for the students to learn and explore more than one answer to the problem. Lots of students chose to use counters as a resource to aid in solving the problem. 

Below are some photos of the students' work.

Teachers have worked closely with Hannah, observing her lessons and planning with her. They have been implementing her ideas and strategies beyond the time she has been here with us. 

~ Daniel Arnavas & Lauren Withers, Acting Numeracy Leaders