Numeracy

At Garfield Primary School, whole-school instructional consistency is still being established. We do however have a few key pillars in place, around which our final model will revolve.

In our Junior School, we have a strong focus on developing student understanding and fluency with numbers and important number concepts, skills and procedures such as place-value, counting, comparing and representing numbers. Mathematics in the Junior School is very hands-on, using different materials to help in establishing a concrete understanding of these concepts.

As students demonstrate proficiency and fluency with numbers and related concepts, they are engaged in a range of approaches to the learning and doing of mathematics that develop their understanding of and fluency with procedures and processes by making connections, reasoning, problem-solving and practice. Proficiency in mathematics enables students to respond to familiar and unfamiliar situations by employing mathematical strategies to make informed decisions and solve problems efficiently.

At Garfield Primary School, as we seek to establish a whole-school framework for the teaching of mathematics, there are a few key pillars already in place, including:

Gradual release of responsibility

The Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) Framework supports in providing appropriate instruction, moving students towards independence, initially with explicit teacher instruction (I do), then with guided instruction (we do), collaborative application and practice (you do it together) and finally through independent application and practice (you do). Importantly, the GRR Framework does not have to be linear.  Based on instructional objectives, educators may appropriately choose to begin in any part of the framework. Students move back and forth between each of the components as they master skills, strategies, and standards.

Number talks

Number talks are short, 5–15-minute teaching and learning practices that involve students mentally solving computational problems and talking about the strategies they have used. Number talks are powerful tools for developing computational fluency and conceptual understanding at the same time.

Teaching Primary Mathematics – written by George Booker, Len Sparrow and Paul Swan

Teaching Primary Mathematics provides teachers and students with a sound framework for the successful teaching of mathematics to primary students. It is suitable both as a core text for primary student teachers and as an indispensable reference for practicing primary teachers seeking to update their knowledge.

At Garfield Primary School, our Professional Learning Teams (PLTs) utilise this text throughout inquiry cycles or units of work around key mathematical concepts to determine the appropriate sequencing and assessment of learning for that particular unit of work, key vocabulary to be explicitly taught, vital prerequisite skills as well as appropriate resources and instructional approaches.