MATHEMATICS

Key Stage 3 Numeracy Project

This project has run for the academic year 1996 to 1997 for schools that are aiming to improve numeracy skills from a fairly low base. Nine secondary departments have been involved in this first cohort of schools, spending five days at the Martineau Centre with the possibility of further meetings to consider issues and share experiences. These five days have been lead by Don Steward of MEDIAN. He was invited to lead the sessions because of his extensive experience of leading a numeracy project for a whole year in 25 secondary schools, mainly in Shropshire.

Particular aims of the course were to provide:

ideas for short, regular and often mental practice tasks
detailed suggestions for how to introduce basic arithmetic work to assist conceptual development
ideas for all aspects of the ks3 programmes of study
ways of extending number tasks to develop skills and offer assessment opportunities within Ma 1.

Course participants have been asked to disseminate ideas and try out tasks for themselves. It has been stressed within the course that mental work needs to be deliberately encouraged. Regular 10 minute slots at the starts of lessons have been advocated with a particular focus on times tables (to 10 x 10), complements to 10 (and 100) and the doubles of all digits. Many exercises in text books can be overly repetitive. Following a section of a lesson on introducing, sharing and comparing methods of written calculation, participants have been provided with and encouraged to find interesting number tasks. Such tasks will aim to offer plenty of practice but have a problem-solving or proof element that adds other dimensions to the work by involving deeper thoughts and insights. Sessions either side of Christmas have been interactive workshops, with participants involving themselves in the tasks to find out how they might be introduced, explored and extended with pupils. The course has been very practical and ideas stem from classroom experience in a wide variety of schools.

Hopefully this work will have provided many ideas that will assist departments in further developing numeracy skills across the attainment spectrum.