The School Math Curriculum - How Children Learn Maths - Number 2

Many parents worry that teaching math through play and the medium of Cuisenaire Rods will somehow confuse their child if the school he/she attends adopts a more formal or different approach. The fact is that it is universal math concepts that are being taught using the rods to provide children with a deeper understanding of the structure of number and our number system than would otherwise be possible. These concerns are of course irrelevant if you are homeschooling your children.

This approach teaches universal math concepts in a way that is totally child-centered. Children discover math is creative and fun. Concepts are discovered through play, games and open-ended challenges. Sometimes the hardest part for parents to accept is that 'maths is fun'. As a consequence children will always associate Math with a pleasurable, creative and constructive experience that they enjoyed.

This is often a world away from the memories of most of us.

This method is designed to complement the way children learn best and because of this children's learning is invariably accelerated compared to children exposed to more traditional and formal methods. Children are naturally kinesthetic/tactile learners and this reflects the dominant methodology which is truly multi-sensory as visual and auditory learners are also well provided for.

Math need no longer be a source of stress and conflict in the home.

Math related surveys consistently reveal that Math is probably the most hated subject on the school curriculum. One of the most iconic figures of the 20th Century - Barbie's - first words were '"Math is tough" following concerns raised in the US regarding the lack of math achievement by girls. The National Network For Child Care posed the question "What Can We Do?" in their newsletter. Back in 1982 a major report 'Mathematics Counts' was produced as result of a committee of enquiry into the teaching of Mathematics in schools in the UK under the chairmanship of Dr W H Cockroft. Some of the findings were alarming. When adults were interviewed the report observed how "... even an apparently simple and straightforward piece of mathematics could induce feelings of anxiety, helplessness, fear and even guilt..."

I question how much has changed.

A positive introduction to Math is absolutely crucial and what better way than through play? Just give the rods to a child of any age and he/she will do what they do best - play. Play is one of the most powerful motivational forces in the world. Learning should always be fun - structured, but fun. Most of our learning is non-conscious and incidental. For example children who use the rods regularly will 'know' their number bonds to 10 at a very early age without having to 'count' on their fingers.

Play is the harvesting of experience that will feed the growth of the child's understanding and further development. Play creates a positive learning environment. Directed activities can be introduced alongside Free Play to reflect children's particular interests. There are no limits to the possibilities. For example children can be asked to:

Create a star ship.

Build Cinderella's Palace

Produce a mosaic floor pattern etc.

It can be useful to keep a digital camera handy as children are often very reluctant to break up their creations. In fact it is a very good idea to treat their constructions as you did when they painted their first picture, as unique works of art. Photographs can also serve as a record of your child's progress. Play stimulates that most important attribute of the brain - our imagination.

Next Post: Incidental Learning

Before retirement Phil Rowlands was a primary school headteacher in the UK for 27 years. He has a deep interest in brain-based-research particularly with regard to how it impacts on children's learning and is the author of several leaning programs including the early years math program 'Ensure Your Child Succeeds At Math' For more information on the program and a free trial of the accomanying software visit http://www.helpyourchildsucceed.com/mathbook.htm

What's Going on With the National Curriculum Statement in South Africa

The new system aims to put right defects in the unpopular Outcome Based Education (OBE) system and improve learner achievements.

The Committee that reviewed the process acknowledged that teachers were over burdened with curriculum and administrative duties and the department has started the process of relieving some of the pressure on them, thereby allowing them to do what they are there for- to teach our learners. The Review Committee has set in motion measures to reduce the number of projects learners need to do and portfolio files of learner assessments have been axed. Also, as of January 2010 CTAS for Grade 9 learners were stopped.

When you look at some of the statistics that are being published, these changes couldn't have come sooner. A survey found that under OBE, a million children gave up schooling every year, with in excess of five million learners having left school incapable of reading or writing effectively.

The Minister explained the aims of the new National Curriculum Statement (NCS), summarised as follows:

• The repackaging of the existing curriculum into the general aims of the South African curriculum, the specific aims of each subject, clearly delineated topics to be covered per term and the required number and type of assessments, also per term.

• Outcomes to be absorbed into more accessible aims and content and assessment requirements will be spelt out more clearly. Topics and assessments to be covered per term are being aligned to available time allocations per subject.

• The reduction of the number of learning areas in the Intermediate Phase from eight to six. That means that in grades 4 to 6 technology will be combined with science, arts and culture will be combined with life orientation and economic and management sciences will be taught only from grade 7. One of the priorities in the Basic Education budget speech in March was the development and distribution of adequate learning and teaching material. Motshekga went on to explain "A crucial pillar in the Department's determination to improve learner performance is the provision of learner workbooks. This project is a result of the injunction by the Presidency to provide resources to teachers and learners to improve learner performance in literacy and numeracy.

To this end, the Department of Basic Education has developed a plan for the development of the Work Books for Grades 1 - 6 in order to ensure the development, piloting, printing and distribution of learner workbooks early in 2011. We will pilot the workbooks in schools in 2010 and they will be available for use in all schools in 2011. The project will provide resource support to 6.5 million learners and approx 180 000 teachers in nearly 20 000 schools. This will place workbooks in the hands of each and every learner in the system.

A team of curriculum experts/materials developers/translators is developing the workbooks. These individuals have proven experience in the development of learner workbooks, are conversant with resource based methods and are able to produce high quality output according to project deadlines."

Additional recommendations that Minister Motshekga made are:

"Firstly, the Council approved the recommendation that from 2011, the language chosen by the learner as a Language of Learning and Teaching shall be taught as a subject, or as a First Additional Language, from Grade One (1) and not from Grade 2, as is currently the case. What this means, for instance, is that the teaching of English will occur alongside mother tongue instruction for those learners who choose English as a language of learning and teaching. English will not replace the mother tongue or home language in the early grades, as some commentators have interpreted the recommendation.

Secondly, Council agreed to regular, externally-set assessments at grades 3, 6 and 9 in literacy (in home language and first additional language) and numeracy/mathematics. It agreed on a weighting of continuous assessment and end of year examinations.

Council thirdly agreed that the symbols or rating scales used to rate learner performance in Grades 10-12 will, from 2011, be extended to Grades R-9, so that there is consistency across the curriculum."

The fact that the OBE problems are being addressed is indeed progress but what of the 5 million kids that have left school with limited literacy and numeracy skills - are they to be written off as lost?

David Meredith is CEO of Virtual-IT a database development company based in South Africa. The company wa established in 2001 with a management teamthat has a combined experience of over forty years, specialising in the Education Industries of South Africa and the United Kingdom. The team at Virtual-IT has the background that you can trust with your Staff Skills Development Programs, be it Facilitation Feedback, Assessment or Learner Management Reporting Systems, we understand the challenges and opportunities this unique industry offers and our Network of Industry experts allows us to add value to most areas of Training and Reportability.

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