© Crown copyright PPT-EN-15 Developing mental mathematics, reasoning and communicating Professional development meeting 1

© Crown copyright PPT-EN-15 2 Developing mental mathematics, reasoning and communication The aim of this CPD programme is to help you promote rich and broad opportunities for children to develop their mental mathematics through: developing a clearer understanding of the range and depth of mental mathematics embedding mental mathematics within planning and teaching exploring the role of visualisation, images and practical resources in developing the ability to work mentally sharing strategies to embed the development of reasoning and communication throughout teaching and learning in mathematics.

© Crown copyright PPT-EN-15 3 Reflecting on the pre-meeting task Reflect on the balance of mental mathematics activities that children were engaged in last week, in terms of: Learning focus (calculation only or across the curriculum) When the activity took part in the lesson: were they all within oral and mental starters? Contexts (whole-class, group work, independent). Was the activity entirely mental or did children use jottings, equipment or apparatus to support their thinking? Were children talking to each other or to the teacher? What was the focus of the talk?

© Crown copyright PPT-EN-15 4 Start from a square visualisation Work with one or more colleagues to combine your sticky notes to this shape. Visualise how you will make the shape and discuss what to do, then use the resources to try out your ideas.

© Crown copyright PPT-EN-15 5 Start from a square visualisation Try some more shapes:

© Crown copyright PPT-EN-15 6 Start from a square visualisation Try some more shapes:

© Crown copyright PPT-EN-15 7 Start from a square visualisation Try some more shapes:

© Crown copyright PPT-EN-15 8 Visualisation activities Reflect on learning during the activities: What is the benefit of developing visualisation skills? How easy/hard did you find it? Did you enjoy this approach? What role did the sticky notes play in the shape activity? What prior experience, knowledge and skills were you building on in each activity? Did you jot anything down? If so, what, and how did this help you? How did the way the activities were presented and developed support learning?

© Crown copyright PPT-EN-15 9 Opportunities for children to develop their mental mathematical skills Draw on the discussion so far, experience of the pre- meeting task and the two visualisation activities to discuss: What does working mentally mean in mathematics? What skills and attitudes do children need in order to be able to work mentally? What opportunities do children need in order to develop these skills?

© Crown copyright PPT-EN Mental mathematics case studies The first page of each handout shows the teacher’s planning and the second page reflects on some of the outcomes. Read through the notes in pairs, identifying: key features of the sessions that led to effective learning strategies that the teacher used in order to promote reasoning and communication.

© Crown copyright PPT-EN Next steps Think back through the session and use flipchart notes to reflect on: the breadth of experiences that children need in order to develop skills in mental mathematics, reasoning and communicating key features of effective mental mathematics teaching and learning strategies that help promote the development of reasoning and communication.

© Crown copyright PPT-EN Interim task Before PDM 2, plan and teach at least one mental mathematics activity in a guided group context or with your whole class. The activity could be based on one of the telephone keypad starting points. After the session, reflect on children’s learning, note down responses that revealed children’s mathematical thinking or gaps in understanding. Capture evidence of outcomes from the session to bring to the follow-up meeting (for example, notes, examples of dialogue, children’s jottings).

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