A group of Camden’s primary schools have been carrying out Lesson Study to find out more about how children learn mathematics. The schools have focused on children in Years 2 to 4 and analysed learning in aspects of number, problem solving and their use of mathematical language.
Presentation from NAMA conference March 2012
Nigel Bufton (mathematics consultant) and teachers from Carlton and Beckford Primary schools in Camden attended the National Association of Mathematics Advisers (NAMA) conference in Birmingham in March. You can download and view their presentation by clicking on the link above.
The focus of the lesson study carried out in Year 3 classes is on securing children’s understanding of place value in calculation. Through the lesson study the teachers identified startling gaps in some children’s understanding of place value which was impacting on their ability to perform calculations, and severely limited their progress.
The focus of the lesson study carried out in Year 2 classes is on developing children’s use of language to support their mathematical thinking and understanding. The case study provides evidence that strengthening children’s ability to explain their mathematics through the use of sentence frames and key vocabulary helps them to make and demonstrate greater progress.
Brookfield Primary School Case Study
The focus of the lesson study carried out in a Year 4 class is on promoting collaborative problem solving in mathematics. Providing children with a clearly structured lesson has helped to build their confidence so when they are faced with a new problem they have ways of working that they display and share with the whole class.
St Aloysius Junior School Case Study
This case study focuses on 6 pupils in Year 4 who had attained L2c at the end of Key Stage 1 in mathematics. It explores their understanding of Place Value and partitioning and recall of numbers. Securing this basic core of mathematics learning meant that children are now “much more able to apply themselves to solving problems.”
St Aloysius Infant School Case Study
The overall focus of the school’s lesson study was to look into ways of developing models and images to effectively develop Year 2 children’s basic understanding of place value. Teachers refine the use of Dienes blocks to improve understanding.
Pingback: Five new mathematics case reports from Camden primary schools have been published | lessonstudy.co.uk