What do we want for our learners?

To develop the ability to think creatively, critically, strategically and logically.

To process and communicate information.

To enjoy intellectual challenge.

To be able to predict outcomes, to conjecture, to justify and verify, to seek patterns and generalisations.

To estimate with reasonableness, calculate with precision and to understand when results are precise and when they must be interpreted with uncertainty.

Mathematics in the classroom.

"Doing maths" is looking a little different these days in our classrooms, as more collaborative approaches to solving mathematics problems are being encouraged.

In a lesson, the solutions to real life problems are discussed, negotiated and constructed in a collective way.  Learning conversations include all learners, and everyone feels that their contribution is valued.  Our learners feel that everyone succeeds when the group succeeds.

Number knowledge goes hand in hand with using strategies to solve problems and is an important part of a typical maths lesson.  Knowing, for example, that our whole number system is based on 10 is vital knowledge and enables our learners to make sense of big numbers: 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000 etc.

Basic facts are facts or ideas that can be instantly recalled without having to use a strategy to get the answer.  It is important to know basic facts as it frees up the brain for other aspects of the maths that we are involved with.  Once learners understand how a fact works, they can then memorise them.  For example, a learner needs to understand that 3x5 means 5+5+5.  When that makes sense, they can then just memorise 3x5=15.