Maths week is sneaking up quickly and this is a good time to reflect on our classroom maths displays. Are they helpful to the students? Are they interactive? Do they show visitors the maths that is really happening in your classroom? There are so many 'pretty' maths posters on line that you can download for each area of your maths programme. I have files overflowing with laminated wall display charts and posters. But at the end of the day, I only used these seldom and with discretion, asking the question, "How will this help my students improve?"
When I sat down to write interactive maths games for each knowledge outcome from stages 4-8, I also thought about how students could be the masters of their own learning. Over the years of interviewing students for assessment I noticed how keen they were to come back and be interviewed on their next bit of knowledge, when they knew what it was they needed to master.
So I incorporated this into the pack too. Following an IKAN test to establish their knowledge and next steps, students get a stage tracking sheet for their maths book of the knowledge they need to master and the games they can play to master them.
There are also wall posters explaining each piece of knowledge, to put up onto your maths wall. Students names could also be added to remind them what they are currently working on. Students track their progress on their sheet in their maths book so that they know exactly where they got up to during the previous maths session. They can play a game as many times as they want to and when they feel ready to be interviewed, they let you know.
You can quickly do this at the start of a focused maths group session as you wait for the group to gather. Keep the teacher checklist pasted into the front of your group modelling book for quick reference.
As the programme gathers momentum, and students realise that they set the pace of their progression, you will be blown away by how quickly they progress through the knowledge stages.
Another bonus of this is students can set their own maths homework goals by keeping a student checklist in their homework books as well. Once you sign them off in an interview, they can update their homework sheet themselves and move onto their next goals to practise with mum and dad - meaningful differentiated homework - bonus :)
This week I tidied up my wall display headers / banners for my knowledge displays and wish to offer these to you all as freebies. I have used super cute illustrations by Philip Martin which you will love.
Two options are included. One is a simple banner header which you can print to preferred size, another is a display mat version you can print A3 and laminate to group you knowledge signs or group names onto. This will help keep your display tidier. There is a colour set to match each stage of my Knowledge Games Resource.
All games in this post and all Freebie wall labels can be found here
Two options are included. One is a simple banner header which you can print to preferred size, another is a display mat version you can print A3 and laminate to group you knowledge signs or group names onto. This will help keep your display tidier. There is a colour set to match each stage of my Knowledge Games Resource.
http://www.help-me-learn.com/store/c3/Mathematics.html
With love, as always
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