Innovative maths resources that have stood the test of time
Maths is one of the most important subjects taught in school. Let’s face it, maths provides the very building blocks for so many industries, economies and jobs the world over. A solid understanding of maths gives workers the ability to think critically and logically, analyse data and create hypothesis and conclusions.
Before starting school, children learn the basics of numbers, sequences and addition / subtraction. At primary school, they learn to problem solve, calculate decisions and to show their workings. By the time they leave secondary, they will be able to develop and communicate their hypothesis, provide solutions to complex mathematical questions and solve equations. All of these skills help to develop a concrete understanding of maths and are essential for later on in life.
Maths also forms a crucial part of the wider STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) world. With a global market that is continuing to expand, students with STEM skills are becoming increasingly sought after. However, with a shortage of STEM skills affecting industries from the US to the UK, how do we ensure children are learning the basics? And how do we ensure that they are equipped for a changing world?
In our latest blog, we discuss the importance of ‘maths mastery’ as well as why our range of innovative maths resources, that have stood the test of time and are proven to enhance children’s understanding of maths in the classroom, should be in your product offering.
What is ‘maths mastery’ and how can it help children learn?
For years, South Asian countries such as Hong Kong, China and Singapore have sat at the top of the Program for International Student Assessment world rankings:- a measure of 15-year-old students across reading, science and maths. What’s more, China has not finished outside the top 3 of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) since 1997.
What makes these countries so strong? Well, one of the reasons is ‘maths mastery’. At its core, the idea is based around whole-class teaching and developing a deep understanding of the fundamentals within maths. There’s a mixture of short tasks, explanation, demonstration and discussion during lessons involving ‘maths mastery’.
The concrete > pictorial > abstract approach is the basis of maths mastery teaching. Children use manipulatives and physical objects such as Multilink® to represent concepts, alongside standard numbers and symbols. This helps them visualise abstract ideas and cement the concept, giving a deeper understanding and an ability to apply their learning to future challenges.
So, with more schools around the world switching to a ‘maths mastery’ approach, what products do you need to have in your range. Let us discuss…
Multilink®: the classroom favourite used the world over
First developed in the 1970s by Hope Education, Multilink® cubes are the classroom resource of choice for thousands of mathematics teachers worldwide. Long-established in the classroom, they have huge manipulative potential due to their simple and effective design. In a matter of seconds, children and teachers can represent numbers, equations, shape, length, weights and much more.
Multilink cubes are suited perfectly to the concrete part of the ‘maths mastery’, giving children something tangible to help them make a connection between concepts and the numbers involved.
The cubes are an ideal size for small hands to grab and fix together, helping to improve fine motor skills. What’s more, each cube can be connected on every side, giving an extra opportunity to build upwards and sideways.
With hundreds of different usages, Multilink® is an excellent product around which each foundation of mathematics can be explored including the clear representation or addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Our Multilink® range contains everything teachers and schools need to teach maths including the original cubes, starter packs, pegboards and teacher’s guides. View the range to find out more.
Unifix®: the must-have manipulative for early maths learning
Another must-have maths manipulative for early maths learning is Unifix®. Used in classrooms for decades, the bright and colourful, interlocking cubes allow younger children the opportunity to learn about numbers and basic maths concepts through play.
Perfect for teaching early years and lower KS1 due to the simplicity of design, Unifix® allows connections on two sides unlike the slightly more complex Multilink® which allows connections on all sides.
Unifix® can be used for various tasks and challenges including comparing, counting, sorting and measurement as well as addition, subtraction and multiplication. What’s more, the cubes are perfect for introducing measurement exercises into the classroom as well as problem-solving and investigation work.
Our Unifix® cubes are used in thousands of classrooms across the world and contain everything teachers need. View the range to find out more.
Motivating and challenging cards to develop problem-solving skills
As outlined above, the ability to problem solve is a key focus for children during their school lives. Developing strategies to cope with increasingly sophisticated problems, therefore, has never been more important. To help children, we’ve created a range of problem-solving strategy and skills maths cards.
With a wide variety of motivating and high-interest problem-solving activities, they are an excellent resource for using in the classroom. Each card has a maths word problem for pupils to solve with the reverse offering extension activities for more able pupils.
The range covers three main maths areas, number and algebra, measurement and geometry and statistics and chance and is suitable for children aged between 5 to 11. View the range to find out more.
So, whether you’re looking to create a new maths range or simply looking to expand your existing one, get in touch with our team today.