Knowledge Makes Change Seminar 8 - Stories can be counted on

The Knowledge Makes Change seminar series aims to inspire and be informative on ‘what works’ for young children and their families to ensure the best possible outcomes. It forms part of NCB’s work in Jersey and is delivered in partnership with the Jersey Child Care Trust. They are free events open to everyone engaged with young children and their families in Jersey.

The 8th evening in the series featured Neil Griffiths discussing how stories can be used to teach maths in fun, exciting and unexpected ways.

Transcript

1. Knowledge Makes Change seminar 8
   Stories can be counted on
   21 March 2019
   Welcome
   

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2. Welcome and introductions
   Dr Cathy Hamer
   Chair of Best Start Partnership
   and Associate, National Children’s Bureau
   

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3. Agenda
   Welcome and Introductions
   Dr Cathy Hamer, Chair of Best Start Partnership and Associate,
   National Children’s Bureau
   Village Pre-School – Making it REAL Maths
   Kathy Holley and Karen Ogilvie
   Stories can be counted on
   Neil Griffiths, author and storyteller
   Questions and discussion
   Early Childhood Development Programme Update
   Annamarie Hassall MBE – Director of Practice and Programmes,
   National Children’s Bureau
   

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4. Making Maths REAL
   The Village Preschool
   

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5. Home Visits
   - Focus on child’s interests to spark
   their interest in maths.
   - Aids confidence in practitioner that
   child will engage.
   - Aids confidence in parent.
   

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6. Home Visit
   Baking and Cooking
   - ‘5 Currant Buns’ rhyme using props.
   - Counting out the quantities of currants for
   each bun.
   - Making playdough cakes and counting the
   buttons.
   - Read ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’.
   - Looking at a recipe for porridge.
   - Measuring out the oats and water.
   

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7. Home Visit Everyday Maths
   - Exploring how household objects can be used to
   support early maths skills; including:
   - Counting out quantities
   - Comparing and ordering size
   - Matching numerals and quantities
   - Talking about the shape of objects and using
   them to create shapes, e.g. cotton buds to make
   a square.
   - Bottle Tops
   - Cotton Buds
   - Stones
   - Buttons
   - Corks
   

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8. Home Visit
   Trains
   - Measuring lengths of train track
   - Comparing and ordering the size of
   track
   - Counting out quantities of
   carriages
   - Using number cards to match
   numerals and quantities
   

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9. Home Visit
   

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10. Event - Early Maths Workshop
    Modelling examples of everyday and household objects that
    can be used to support early maths skills.
    

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11. Event - Early Maths Workshop
    Modelling examples
    of natural objects that
    be used to support
    early maths skills.
    

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12. Early Maths Workshop
    Stories, Songs and Rhymes
    

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13. Spots and Teddies
    Event
    

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14. Spots and Teddies
    Event
    Spotty artwork – printing with
    tubes, cotton cool balls, corks,
    cotton buds etc
    Counting out quantities of smarties and matching
    colours. Linked to the Brown Bear Story
    

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15. Event – Maths Stories,
    Songs & Rhymes
    

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16. Outcomes of Making Maths REAL…
    For the Children
    - Closer relationships between practitioners, children and parents.
    - Relationships between the children who have participated in home visits
    and practitioners has been enriched.
    - Positive effect children seeing their parents working closely with preschool
    practitioners.
    - Children benefiting from the parents increased knowledge of the
    importance of early maths development.
    - In preschool - an increase in children choosing to use resources to explore
    maths skills.
    

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17. Outcomes of Making Maths REAL…
    For the
    parents
    - Parents are more confident to discuss their child’s learning.
    - Parents have shared how they have used ideas and activities that
    they saw at an event.
    - Parents have shared how their involvement in home visits or events
    has helped their understanding of their child’s maths skills.
    - Parents have shared how the events gave them a greater
    understanding of the work of the preschool and the purpose behind
    the activities/resources we provide.
    “It was eye-opening that I could use things from around the house and our
    daily routines to help me help my child’s maths. I learnt that you don’t need
    lots of expensive maths resources, you just need to count the peas!”
    (Parent who participated in home visits)
    

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18. Outcomes of Making Maths REAL…
    For the
    practitioners
    - Practitioners have a greater
    awareness, enthusiasm and
    confidence for what they can do to
    further support the children’s
    maths development.
    - Practitioners are more confident to
    share their practice with parents.
    - All practitioners have been involved
    in REAL, either through running
    projects or volunteering at events.
    Parent who participated in home visits has
    completed the ‘Sharing REAL with Parents’
    course; has become a member of our staff
    team and is currently completing their
    Level 2 Childcare training.
    

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19. Outcomes of Making Maths REAL…
    For the preschool
    - Reviewed maths provision and approach.
    - Thinking beyond a ‘maths area’.
    - children are regularly given the opportunity to participate in maths
    environmental print and shape hunts and walks.
    - We extended some of our events to our toddler group families.
    

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20. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
    

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21. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
    

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22. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
    

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23. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
    

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24. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
    

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25. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
    

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26. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
    

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27. - Plans to extend REAL to the families who
    attend toddler group. Adapting to support
    0-2.5 years.
    - Events are part of annual provision for
    the children and families.
    - Running combined Maths and Literacy
    ‘Stories, Songs and Rhymes’ events.
    - Incorporating Helicopter Stories into our
    work with REAL.
    - Plans to open events up to families in the
    local community.
    The future
    Making Maths REAL…at the Village
    

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29. Maths was not always
    fun or easy to
    connect with!
    

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30. The agonizing, alphabet of mathematics!
    A is for algebra
    B is for binary
    C is for calculus
    D is for denominator
    E is for equation
    F is for fibonacci sequence
    G is for geometry
    H is for hypotenuse
    I is for integers
    J is for juxtapose
    K is for kilogram
    L is for logarithm
    

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31. M is for median
    N is for negative number
    O is for obtuse
    P is for pi
    Q is for quadratic equation
    R is for ratio
    S is for scalene
    T is for trigonometry
    U is for unit
    V is for Venn diagram
    W is for weight
    X is for x-axis
    Y is for y-axis
    Z is for zigzag
    

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32. To be honest they
    took my counters,
    linking elephants
    and unifix cubes
    away to soon!
    

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33. I was haunted by these
    words regularly
    shouted at me…
    

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34. “I have just shown you”
    

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35. “Why don’t you listen!”
    

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36. “I’m only going to tell
    you this once!”
    

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37. 4s + 1h + 1n = u
    

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38. No wonder I took…
    

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39. … 7
    attempts to get a GSE
    qualification!
    

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40. However after many
    retakes…
    

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41. ‘C’ !!!!!!!!!
    (But, when is a ‘C’ not a ‘C’?)
    

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42. At college I then
    had the joy of…
    

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43. The number systems of
    ancient civilizations.
    

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44. Binary!
    

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45. Make
    an
    abacus!
    

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46. 4th year Juniors!
    (Now Year 6)
    (10 and 11 year olds!)
    

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47. Alpha and Beta Books!
    

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48. The multiplication of
    fractions!
    

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49. “I have just shown you!”
    

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50. Smartie Maths!
    (M and Ms!)
    

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51. But it is all
    different now
    isn’t it?
    

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52. Weighing tennis balls!
    

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53. Weighing tennis balls!
    Measuring the length of a
    playing card!
    

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54. Weighing tennis balls!
    Measuring the length of a
    playing card!
    Counting shells!
    

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55. I am worried that I still watch children involved in:
    

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56. I am tired of watching children involved in:
    Countless counting
    Boring beading
    Mindless measuring
    Worthless weighing
    Timeless timing
    

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57. I am tired of watching children involved in:
    Countless counting
    Boring beading
    Mindless measuring
    Worthless weighing
    Timeless timing
    Endless estimating
    Senseless sequencing
    Pointless problem solving
    

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58. Trundle
    wheels!
    

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59. When mathematical
    experiences are rooted in
    children’s individual interests
    and fascinations, it increases
    their engagement, motivation,
    and desire to learn.
    PSRN The National Strategy
    

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60. All children can be successful with
    mathematics, provided that they
    have opportunities to explore
    mathematical ideas in ways that
    make personal sense to them.
    PSRN The National Strategies
    

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61. Mathematical activities for young
    children must be set within their
    experiences of everyday life and must
    involve them in active exploration of
    the world around them.
    Planning for Progression Inspection and Advisory Services, Wales
    

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62. Mathematics is essential to
    everyday life…
    …mathematics education should
    provide a sense
    of enjoyment and curiosity about
    the subject.
    (Dept for Education UK: ‘New
    Curriculum’)
    

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63. So what does
    make
    a great
    maths activity?
    

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64. Ask these questions:
    What makes an activity interesting to
    you?
    What makes you want to do an
    activity?
    What makes you want to do it
    again?
    

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65. The essential top
    ten!
    

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66. Regularly rooted in real-life
    or its close imitation!
    

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67. Relevant and of enough
    personal interest to spark
    their curiosity!
    

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68. Purposeful and meaningful!
    

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69. Stimulating and challenging
    with opportunities to explore
    and solve problems!
    

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70. Practical, multi-sensory,
    physical and hands-on!
    

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71. Both planned
    and spontaneous!
    

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72. Unexpected and surprising !
    

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73. Self-initiated, adult led,
    adult supported and adult
    accompanied!
    

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74. Enjoyed in a variety of
    settings, both indoors and
    outdoors!
    

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75. Great fun!
    

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76. By the way,
    adults matter!
    

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77. Mathematical activities
    should be delivered with
    a genuine passion,
    enthusiasm and excitement
    for the subject!
    

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78. Adults need to be
    mathematically playful
    and arouse emotions!
    

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79. Guess what?
    I will let you into a secret!
    

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80. Good storybooks are exciting,
    stimulating and have high
    visual appeal.
    

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81. Children relate well to their
    characters and are drawn
    in by their storylines.
    

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82. Their vivid illustrations are
    just waiting to be investigated
    and rich mathematical
    vocabulary is regularly
    interwoven into a stories text.
    

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83. They are more often than
    not based in real or near real
    life, providing a perfect
    context and setting for
    mathematical exploration.
    

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84. Books and stories are
    reassuring, familiar
    and comforting.
    

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85. Let the fun begin!
    

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86. Stories are simply alive
    with possibilities!!
    

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87. An important mathematical
    skill is the ability to be able
    to order, sequence and
    understand position.
    

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101. Many books contain
     different sorts of pattern and
     shape in their illustrations.
     

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109. Illustrations in stories can be
     a wonderful starting
     point and stimulus for
     counting activities.
     

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115. Finger fun!
     

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116. Finger fun!
     Cover in counters!
     

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117. Finger fun!
     Cover in counters!
     Great guessing!
     

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119. A vast choice of books
     include counting activities.
     

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149. Books often use
     mathematical vocabulary
     in a real life context.
     

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150. Knowing mathematical
     vocabulary is important for
     children to have a language
     tool for mathematics . . .
     PSRN The National Strategies
     

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151. Our challenge then is to
     give children the language
     necessary to access
     mathematics.
     

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156. Thank you to all my maths
     teachers for showing me how
     mathematics should have
     been taught!
     

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159. Many stories include
     transformations in size,
     distance or shape!
     

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161. Many books include a
     journey within their storyline.
     This can present wonderful
     opportunities to explore
     position, location and
     measurement of
     distance and time!
     

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186. The focus in some stories is
     a mathematical operation.
     

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189. Other stories are full of many
     mathematical opportunities.
     They can be found at first
     glance, or within and
     beyond the storyline.
     

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198. Warning!
     Beware!
     

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199. Remember hands-on does
     not always mean minds-on!
     

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200. Providing a ‘shop’ or
     ‘building site’ for play, does
     not necessarily lead to
     mathematical activity . . .
     

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201. …and when it does, it can
     often have a limited impact.
     

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202. The phrase ‘Maths is
     everywhere’ may indeed be
     true, but do the children
     see the maths?
     

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203. Some say proudly, “The
     children don’t even know
     they are doing maths”, but
     shouldn’t they know?
     

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204. Thank you
     

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