Case Study: Mathematics In Primary School

Case Study math In Primary civiliseDuring a kidskins primeval years it is life-sustaining to develop the cognitive and social skills that will solelyow them to generate a foundation of noesis and a basic set of skills for development, which flowerpot be applied and developed doneout the rest of their schooling and bighearted life. This begins with the agnatic and familial influence on the child and fortifyes through their Primary School years and interaction with instructors and peers. Communication in the midst of p arnts, t separatelyer and child argon accordingly of vital importance. Without these ingredients, a child may not grasp their full potential.For the reasons noted above it is obligatory to figure that the numeric office of young pupils is well established in the early years setting. A number of recomm conclusionations which have implications for pupils and betimes Years practitioners are made in the Williams report and will be reexami necessit y below.The concern of parental influence on the developing child is immeasurable. As such it is critical to guarantee that the mathematical ability of, and t individuallying method used by parents is sufficient to image and teach their child in a way which is relevant to the live syllabus (parents mathematical skills may be weak or outdated). It is overly big for parents to encourage positivity towards maths this is only possible if they are confident with mathematics themselves. cooking of course of studys, such as Sure Start, impressive Provision of Pre-School Education and the work of Parent Support Advisors, aim to compass this and should continue to receive funding to break the continuing cycle of electronegativity towards mathematics.It is the responsibility of the Early Years instructor, with specific regard to mathematics, toForm strong bonds with pupils to affect their pedagogy (one of the key features of Early Years Foundation Stage). dole out the child as a unique individual and adapt education accordingly, creating an enabling environment for either pupils.Generate interest in the consequence matter.Provide basic skills in the vegetable marrow mathematical operations. It is suggested that knowledge goals should be expanded to include time and capacity. This seems a logical expansion of the core mathematical concepts and will allow for accelerated run acrossing of the more effortful concepts.Challenge the pupil and generate promotionion of knowledge, thinking skills and learning methods. However, the child moldiness not be overloaded.Assess progress or drop thereof (allowing generation of the childs Individual Education Plan), provide preventive if necessary, make do the handling and correctly assess and acknowledge progress.Involve parents in the childs learning process and provide feedback, especially if the child needs extra nominate. This faecal matter bring the childs ability in- trend with peers and prevent the child from falling behind. This is also beta in the converse scenario it is important to challenge a gifted pupil. Parents outhouse be influential here.Assist in the generation of a despotic attitude towards Mathematics for pupil and parent(s)/guardian(s).Ensure that the childs assurance is maintained and therefore retain the childs appetite for new learning.Therefore it is vital that instructors develop an telling pedagogy. This process begins with the development of precept strategies through Initial Teacher schooling (ITT) and is enhanced through continuous original development (CPD). The application of stiff pedagogy includes focusing learning appropriately (with guidance from the syllabus), creating realistic all the same challenging and tailored educational aims, implementing a well honed teaching proficiency to achieve educational aims, supported by sufficient subject knowledge. Provision of quality teaching shares a linear relationship with the mean expertness le vel of all rung. Consequently it is suggested that the DCSF continues to growth the proportion of graduate practitioners in early years settings recognising the respective contributions of the Qualified Teacher. This provides further support for the commission of all staff toward CPD which should be tailored around childrens understanding of mathematical concepts and ways of learning.Effective Early Years mathematical pedagogy essential support children in developing new skills, generating the ability to understand and analyse mathematical concepts, and eventually to evaluate and apply those concepts to problem solving tasks. The learning environment should make mathematics less stressful from an early age. With Early Years pupils in mind it is important to utilise play and daily routines to generate interest in numeracy and mathematical problem solving. Simple activities mountain carry a mathematical concept such as variability by sharing, addition/subtraction in weighing a ctivities, assessing shape and so on To continue the cycle, mathematical exercises moldiness be fun to retain the childs interest and expand confidence. Involving peers in problem solving tasks expands social skills and provides partners for discussion whilst knowledge is improved.The head teacher and management aggroup should prioritise and manage professional development opportunities to develop subject knowledge and pedagogy, through learning, coaching and mentoring initiatives for all staff members. It must(prenominal)(prenominal) be keep in lined that this is not detrimental to contact time. Williams review would encourage the inclusion of a mathematics component in the CPD programme for head teachers themselves.The head teacher must manage resources in-line with the advice of the management team regarding finance available for manpower and learning aids. It is appropriate for the head teacher to appoint subject leaders who become subject specialists, capable of training a nd supporting other teachers. Ultimately the head teacher and management team are responsible for demonstrating and coaching good practice to their staff. The head teacher should encourage their staff to flip the curriculum content to emphasis connections between various mathematical concepts.It is important to note that mathematical concepts and the analysis and military rank of these concepts chiffoniernot occur in the absence of English language skills. Pupils and teacher must be comfortable with mathematical language. Problems with language can cause a cyclical reduction of confidence which generates a lack of motivation and at long last lack of progress.If the child does experience a difficulty in both numeracy or literacy, some form of discussion should be utilised to enkindle the attainment level of the child. This can be one of three waves of handling ground at heart the Primary National Strategy. The three waves are of increase intensity and correlate largely with the group size requiring intervention.The Every tyke Counts programme is delivered during wave 3 intervention and orients year 2 pupils who are not expected to achieve expected levels of attainment by the end of Key Stage 1. Currently in its second year of development, for case application in 2010-11, Every Child Counts aims to develop a exceedingly effective numeracy intervention for young children with the greatest difficulties in mathematics (http//www.everychildachancetrust.org/counts/index.cfm). In support of this aim, Every Child Counts provides training and support for teachers. However, teachers must ensure that their CPD targets allow them to effectively deliver any intervention which they deem necessary for the pupils in their care. Understanding intervention, when it is necessary and its importance should be included within the content of ITT understanding of these factors in the early part of a teachers travel allows them to apply the principles during delivery of high quality teaching tailored to each child on a daily basis (rather than as rigorously remedial action).As noted earlier, the childs familial and social situation impact upon their education. As such, the Every Child Counts programme is developed in line with the Every Child a Chance Trust which aims to maximise the exercise of children from socially disadvantaged groups. However, it is important to note that wave 3 intervention delivered through the Every Child Counts scheme is targeted at the 5% low attaining pupils nationally, not the lowest 5% in each school. This decision has to be based upon time and resources, the availability of specialists to deliver the intervention and costs of the same it is impossible to provide intervention for all. Unfortunately this leaves a number of pupils without the support they need. As such it must be a long-term target to provide intervention for more children to prevent disadvantaging one over another. tally to the Williams report, wav e 1 intervention involves quality first teaching in a daily mathematics lesson. This suggests that quality teaching of mathematics is provided only when remedial action becomes necessary, perhaps this is due to a lack of confidence of the teacher with mathematics. Regardless of the specific reason for this assertion, it has implications for teachers and trainee teachers. ITT and CPD courses must also ensure that their mathematical ability, and confidence with mathematics, is high. Furthermore, it is suggested that a Mathematics Specialist is employed to ensure delivery of high quality teaching in mathematics through support of teachers and assistance with intensive wave three interventions.Any intervention technique/programme has a number of essential components/considerations (i) assessment, (ii) timing, (iii) duration, (iv) withdrawal from steadfast schooling, (v) group size, (vi) the intervention leader, (vii) intervention resources and (viii) parents. It is critical to continua lly monitor the progress of all pupils (in comparison with peers and themselves) in order to accurately assess the need for intervention. The assessment conformation should highlight goals for and the likely timing of the intervention based on attainment, without negative impact upon the childs confidence in their achievements or ability. persistent assessment through the programme will update the duration of the intervention (determined during assessment. It is suggested that implementation of Every Child Counts is appropriate in Year 2 is timely and practical and will appropriately limit the pressure on Year 1 teachers and pupils.The supportive and corrective intervention programme must not be detrimental to, the need for the pupil to continue learning in other subjects. The intervention must also prevent closing off from peers. Wave 2 intervention is often able to ensure that pupils are brought up-to-speed with the rest of the class whilst receiving the remedial action they req uire. With this in mind, it is also important to consider the group size used in any intervention. As noted by Dowkers review of the research conducted by Denvir and Brown (1986b), pupils are more relaxed and positive when taught in a group but can often be distracted by others. This has been reflected in the research phase of Every Child Counts. The head teacher and staff must fall in on the choice to stream children to support the provision of teaching which stretches all pupils.It becomes more difficult to tailor the intervention activities to the unique needs of each child if they are provided in a group session. Progress assessments can also become difficult if the child hides during comprehension activities. It is therefore necessary to balance the benefits against the consequences of group based intervention.The intervention leader and resources needed must be selected according to the level of support required to sufficiently increase attainment delivery can be undertaken b y the class teacher, teaching assistant, Mathematics Specialist (as suggested by Williams) or parents. Cost factors must also be considered, for example, it is more economical for a teaching assistant to deliver a group intervention than a highly qualified teacher or specialist to deliver one-to-one intervention. It is important to ensure that parents understand and are committed to the intervention and provide learning support at home.It is important for the head teacher to allocate time to assess progress of Year 2 pupils with teachers throughout the year allowing them to plan and manage the timetabling and apportionment of/need for resources, including intervention resources.To summarise, best practice in teaching mathematics gives children an understanding and appreciation of mathematics. This requires and effective pedagogy which generates progression of knowledge and understanding. The teacher must be confident, inventive and possess excellent communication skills. ITT is of import to developing these skills which should be supported by subject-specific Specialists and CPD programmes provided by the Head teacher. flavor teaching and Intervention and programmes such as Every Child Counts must be regarded as an investment in a childs abilities at an early stage to allow them to contribute positively to the economy in adult life. The head teacher and management team must consider the speck to employ and manage a Mathematics Specialist and recruit staff who can deliver effective teaching in collaboration with TAs and parents. campaign referenced http//www.everychildachancetrust.org/counts/index.cfm accessed on 30 August 2010