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
2. Welcome and introductions Dr Cathy Hamer Chair of Best Start Partnership and Associate, National Children’s Bureau
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
4. Making Maths REAL The Village Preschool
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.
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.
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
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
9. Home Visit
10. Event - Early Maths Workshop Modelling examples of everyday and household objects that can be used to support early maths skills.
11. Event - Early Maths Workshop Modelling examples of natural objects that be used to support early maths skills.
12. Early Maths Workshop Stories, Songs and Rhymes
13. Spots and Teddies Event
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
15. Event – Maths Stories, Songs & Rhymes
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.
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)
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.
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.
20. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
21. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
22. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
23. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
24. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
25. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
26. Making Maths REAL…at The Village
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
29. Maths was not always fun or easy to connect with!
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
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
32. To be honest they took my counters, linking elephants and unifix cubes away to soon!
33. I was haunted by these words regularly shouted at me…
34. “I have just shown you”
35. “Why don’t you listen!”
36. “I’m only going to tell you this once!”
37. 4s + 1h + 1n = u
38. No wonder I took…
39. … 7 attempts to get a GSE qualification!
40. However after many retakes…
41. ‘C’ !!!!!!!!! (But, when is a ‘C’ not a ‘C’?)
42. At college I then had the joy of…
43. The number systems of ancient civilizations.
44. Binary!
45. Make an abacus!
46. 4th year Juniors! (Now Year 6) (10 and 11 year olds!)
47. Alpha and Beta Books!
48. The multiplication of fractions!
49. “I have just shown you!”
50. Smartie Maths! (M and Ms!)
51. But it is all different now isn’t it?
52. Weighing tennis balls!
53. Weighing tennis balls! Measuring the length of a playing card!
54. Weighing tennis balls! Measuring the length of a playing card! Counting shells!
55. I am worried that I still watch children involved in:
56. I am tired of watching children involved in: Countless counting Boring beading Mindless measuring Worthless weighing Timeless timing
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
58. Trundle wheels!
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
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
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
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’)
63. So what does make a great maths activity?
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?
65. The essential top ten!
66. Regularly rooted in real-life or its close imitation!
67. Relevant and of enough personal interest to spark their curiosity!
68. Purposeful and meaningful!
69. Stimulating and challenging with opportunities to explore and solve problems!
70. Practical, multi-sensory, physical and hands-on!
71. Both planned and spontaneous!
72. Unexpected and surprising !
73. Self-initiated, adult led, adult supported and adult accompanied!
74. Enjoyed in a variety of settings, both indoors and outdoors!
75. Great fun!
76. By the way, adults matter!
77. Mathematical activities should be delivered with a genuine passion, enthusiasm and excitement for the subject!
78. Adults need to be mathematically playful and arouse emotions!
79. Guess what? I will let you into a secret!
80. Good storybooks are exciting, stimulating and have high visual appeal.
81. Children relate well to their characters and are drawn in by their storylines.
82. Their vivid illustrations are just waiting to be investigated and rich mathematical vocabulary is regularly interwoven into a stories text.
83. They are more often than not based in real or near real life, providing a perfect context and setting for mathematical exploration.
84. Books and stories are reassuring, familiar and comforting.
85. Let the fun begin!
86. Stories are simply alive with possibilities!!
87. An important mathematical skill is the ability to be able to order, sequence and understand position.
101. Many books contain different sorts of pattern and shape in their illustrations.
109. Illustrations in stories can be a wonderful starting point and stimulus for counting activities.
115. Finger fun!
116. Finger fun! Cover in counters!
117. Finger fun! Cover in counters! Great guessing!
119. A vast choice of books include counting activities.
149. Books often use mathematical vocabulary in a real life context.
150. Knowing mathematical vocabulary is important for children to have a language tool for mathematics . . . PSRN The National Strategies
151. Our challenge then is to give children the language necessary to access mathematics.
156. Thank you to all my maths teachers for showing me how mathematics should have been taught!
159. Many stories include transformations in size, distance or shape!
161. Many books include a journey within their storyline. This can present wonderful opportunities to explore position, location and measurement of distance and time!
186. The focus in some stories is a mathematical operation.
189. Other stories are full of many mathematical opportunities. They can be found at first glance, or within and beyond the storyline.
198. Warning! Beware!
199. Remember hands-on does not always mean minds-on!
200. Providing a ‘shop’ or ‘building site’ for play, does not necessarily lead to mathematical activity . . .
201. …and when it does, it can often have a limited impact.
202. The phrase ‘Maths is everywhere’ may indeed be true, but do the children see the maths?
203. Some say proudly, “The children don’t even know they are doing maths”, but shouldn’t they know?
204. Thank you