MATHEMATICS 2019
​FOCUS ON CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT
GRANVILLE EAST

 ASPECT #1: Is there a focus on a big idea to develop conceptual understanding?
  1. Firstly, there are two very short videos featuring Di Siemon:"The Big Ideas in Number" and "You Cannot Teach a Concept"
  2. A collated summary of two articles by Diane Siemon, "Working with the Big Ideas in Number" and "There's More to Counting than Meets the Eye". Click here to download this document.
  3. For those who'd like to see references & curriculum links - chapter_2_siemon_1_.pdfhere's the full chapter.
"Subitising Through the Early Years" The following article provides detailed information about the critical skill of subitising, which is a part of "Trusting the Count".  There are lots of illustrations of the concept, along with activities that teachers could use.
 ASPECT #2 Are we designing challenging tasks that provide opportunities for a range of responses?
  1. "The Role of Challenging Mathematical Experiences" from reSolve (click on the image below to download the presentation). Be sure to listen to the audio snippets where they're available.
  2. Read the summary document "The Role of Mathematical Tasks" (click here to download)
ASPECT #3 How should we plan Number Talks?  There is a reading and viewing for this aspect. 
  1. Read the article, "Number Talks Build Numerical Reasoning" by S Parrish (click here to download), also handout in green section below
  2. View the short video, "Number Talks, 1st Grade Example"
  3. Another fabulous routine to get students talking about their understandings is illustrated below in "My Favourite No"

Other Recommended Resources

  1. Chapter 1 from "Intentional Talk" gives a 4 principles for leading mathematical discussions and a wonderful example of how a teacher puts these into practice in a series of lessons. Click here to download
  2. Focusing & Funelling (and other aspects of teacher questioning)  With links to "Questioning the Pattern of Our Thinking", a blog by Mark Chubb.  Click here to download
  3. "Creating Mathematical Mindsets" is an extract from chapter 4 in Jo Boaler's book.  This chapter emphasises that conceptual understanding is at the heart of maths,  and that students need a mathematical mindset to engage effectively with Maths  Click here to download
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