Playing outside is an essential part of a child's development. From making mud kitchens, to getting to know nature, learning and playing outside will help little learners form key developmental skills such as physical health & self-confidence!
Maths mastery: a key buzz-word in current education. But is it just the latest fad, or is there some merit to this initiative?It is visual, it is practical, and it is something that I have found can build strong foundations in the classroom from which to build greater things. And most importantly, ALL children can access a mastery curriculum.
When was this method of teaching maths introduced in your school?
We began dabbling with mastery approaches towards the end of the summer term in 2016, but we launched it whole-heartedly as a school this academic year, and with great success. Our children are responding fantastically to this approach and progress is really being made.
What resources do you rely on to deliver maths lessons in this style?
Teachers follow the concrete-pictorial-abstract approach in their teaching, and use a wide range of resources to support learning including Singapore Maths Textbooks and mastery curriculum aids such as the White Rose scheme. Maths mastery requires lots of work with physical objects first to help visualise the concept; anything from cubes, to toy animals, to biscuits and cake (that was a good lesson!)Base Ten Classroom Set
Have you seen an improvement in your pupils understanding of maths concepts since introducing this method?
One of the changes that came with making the move to a mastery  approach was something we call the ‘anchor task’ – a child led learning opportunity where the teacher takes a step back and guides the learning instead of dictating it. For example; during a lesson on different types of angles I put three pairs of congruent lines on the board and asked the children “What’s the difference?†The first 5 minutes or so were unfruitful, to say the least. However, it only took one child to pick up his ruler and start trying to measure the angles to trigger a train of thought amongst the others: we can measure this, but how? Eventually they came to the notion of measuring the size of the turn between the two lines (thankfully not with a ruler) and were using language such as “this is bigger than a right angle, smaller than a right angle.†This was something we as teachers found difficult at first – it’s hard not to leap in and intervene – but by letting them arrive at the answer for themselves, the children retain that information for longer and receive a greater sense of satisfaction for having been successful in their discovery.
What type of maths activities are the most popular amongst pupils?
I’ve developed something in school which we call Rainbow Maths – it’s something I keep tight lipped about as it’s a closely guarded secret, but it draws heavily on Bloom’s Taxonomy and the idea of the ‘anchor task’ in order to allow children to explore a mathematical concept and go as in depth with it as they personally can, as individuals. Plus they get to use coloured pens, which excites them more than you’d think!
What advice would you give to parents who are looking to support their children’s maths learning at home?
There’s so much out there at the moment that it can be a bit of a minefield. I’d always start by asking your child’s class teacher – they’re more than willing to help and more often than not there will be examples of how they teach maths in school on their website. This just means we can all work together on one approach, rather than confusing our children with multiple different methods. Learning through play is incredibly valuable and drawing maths problems out into bar shapes to help visualise the idea you’re working on.*Discover more and browse our selection of Maths Mastery resources for the classroom and home.Related reads:What is Mathematics Mastery?Base Ten: The Maths Mastery Manipulative#LoveLearning
Maths mastery: a key buzz-word in current education. But is it just the latest fad, or is there some merit to this initiative?It is visual, it is practical, and it is something that I have found can build strong foundations in the classroom from which to build greater things. And most importantly, ALL children can access a mastery curriculum.
When was this method of teaching maths introduced in your school?
We began dabbling with mastery approaches towards the end of the summer term in 2016, but we launched it whole-heartedly as a school this academic year, and with great success. Our children are responding fantastically to this approach and progress is really being made.
What resources do you rely on to deliver maths lessons in this style?
Teachers follow the concrete-pictorial-abstract approach in their teaching, and use a wide range of resources to support learning including Singapore Maths Textbooks and mastery curriculum aids such as the White Rose scheme. Maths mastery requires lots of work with physical objects first to help visualise the concept; anything from cubes, to toy animals, to biscuits and cake (that was a good lesson!)Base Ten Classroom Set
Have you seen an improvement in your pupils understanding of maths concepts since introducing this method?
One of the changes that came with making the move to a mastery  approach was something we call the ‘anchor task’ – a child led learning opportunity where the teacher takes a step back and guides the learning instead of dictating it. For example; during a lesson on different types of angles I put three pairs of congruent lines on the board and asked the children “What’s the difference?†The first 5 minutes or so were unfruitful, to say the least. However, it only took one child to pick up his ruler and start trying to measure the angles to trigger a train of thought amongst the others: we can measure this, but how? Eventually they came to the notion of measuring the size of the turn between the two lines (thankfully not with a ruler) and were using language such as “this is bigger than a right angle, smaller than a right angle.†This was something we as teachers found difficult at first – it’s hard not to leap in and intervene – but by letting them arrive at the answer for themselves, the children retain that information for longer and receive a greater sense of satisfaction for having been successful in their discovery.
What type of maths activities are the most popular amongst pupils?
I’ve developed something in school which we call Rainbow Maths – it’s something I keep tight lipped about as it’s a closely guarded secret, but it draws heavily on Bloom’s Taxonomy and the idea of the ‘anchor task’ in order to allow children to explore a mathematical concept and go as in depth with it as they personally can, as individuals. Plus they get to use coloured pens, which excites them more than you’d think!
What advice would you give to parents who are looking to support their children’s maths learning at home?
There’s so much out there at the moment that it can be a bit of a minefield. I’d always start by asking your child’s class teacher – they’re more than willing to help and more often than not there will be examples of how they teach maths in school on their website. This just means we can all work together on one approach, rather than confusing our children with multiple different methods. Learning through play is incredibly valuable and drawing maths problems out into bar shapes to help visualise the idea you’re working on.*Discover more and browse our selection of Maths Mastery resources for the classroom and home.Related reads:What is Mathematics Mastery?Base Ten: The Maths Mastery Manipulative#LoveLearning
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Name of tester: Tracy BakerEstablishment name: Little Bright Sparks fun phonics, literacy and numeracy classesAge range of children: 2-7 yearsProduct tested: Word Construction“Tracy teaches phonics, literacy and numeracy for 2-7 year olds at Little Bright Sparks. Helping children to prepare for school, classes show children and parents how to use the phonics system used in the classroom.â€Â Ratings:Â
What I like about this resource is that it helps to refine motor skills, improve hand-eye co-ordination and strengthen the little muscles in children’s hands. This will help them to hold a pencil correctly and for continued lengths of time.Â
Did the children enjoy using the product?
They loved using this product and didn’t realise that they were learning at the same time.  This is useful for special needs children and children that find it difficult to concentrate and sit still to learn. It allows them time to think about the next letter whilst screwing on the previous letter. Â
How would you rate the long term appeal of the resource?
I believe this is something I will be using for many years to come and that it will be a favourite for all of the children I teach (2-7 year olds).Â
Do you currently have any similar products within your setting?
This is completely unique and different from the current toys that I use.  I have phonics puzzles, kids bingo games and lots of homemade resources but nothing like this. Â
How cost effective do you feel the resource is in terms of the results it delivers?
Very cost effective and great value for money.Â
Is the product unique?
Yes, I haven’t seen anything like this on the market! To discover more about Little Bright Sparks visit their Website or Facebook page! Classes are held on Wednesdays in East Malling, Thursdays in West Kingsdown and Fridays in Eynsford. #LoveLearning
Tried & Tested: Word Construction Name of tester: Tracy BakerEstablishment name: Little Bright Sparks fun phonics, literacy and numeracy classesAge range of children: 2-7 yearsProduct tested: Word Construction“Tracy teaches phonics, literacy and numeracy for 2-7 year olds at Little Bright Sparks. Helping children to prepare for school, classes show children and parents how to use the phonics system used in the classroom.â€Â Ratings:Â
What I like about this resource is that it helps to refine motor skills, improve hand-eye co-ordination and strengthen the little muscles in children’s hands. This will help them to hold a pencil correctly and for continued lengths of time.Â
Did the children enjoy using the product?
They loved using this product and didn’t realise that they were learning at the same time.  This is useful for special needs children and children that find it difficult to concentrate and sit still to learn. It allows them time to think about the next letter whilst screwing on the previous letter. Â
How would you rate the long term appeal of the resource?
I believe this is something I will be using for many years to come and that it will be a favourite for all of the children I teach (2-7 year olds).Â
Do you currently have any similar products within your setting?
This is completely unique and different from the current toys that I use.  I have phonics puzzles, kids bingo games and lots of homemade resources but nothing like this. Â
How cost effective do you feel the resource is in terms of the results it delivers?
Very cost effective and great value for money.Â
Is the product unique?
Yes, I haven’t seen anything like this on the market! To discover more about Little Bright Sparks visit their Website or Facebook page! Classes are held on Wednesdays in East Malling, Thursdays in West Kingsdown and Fridays in Eynsford. #LoveLearning
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Name: Debby ElleyTitle: Co-editor AuKids magazineAge of children: Twins aged 13 For Autism Awareness Day we’ve teamed up with Debby from AuKids, a parenting magazine for those raising and educating children with autism, to provide personal product recommendations and tips about buying presents for autistic children.Social communication difficulties mean that pretend play often carries little interest for them early on. Motor planning can also be affected and so toys that require building may prove frustrating.  Our first piece of advice when buying for an autistic child: never guess. If you want to be known for thoughtful presents, prepare by asking mum or dad the type of thing their youngster likes. Some autistic children don’t like surprises or change very much, even when it comes to birthdays. It’s a nice idea to give them some suggestions – with images – and let them choose between them.  Sensory PlayIn children with autism, the sensory exploration stage is very important and often very engaging, too. Sensory toys can be fantastic for these children, but do check with their carers whether they have any sensitivities or aversions. The Sand Moulds Lowercase Alphabet is a good bet, helping finemotor skills as they pack the sand into a letter shape. It’s also an opportunity for parent and child to use simple language together whilst they have shared attention. This is the best way for autistic children to pick up new vocabulary.We love toys that combine sensory fun with learning as they can be appreciated on different levels. Sensory rooms for children with autism can be very expensive – but there are some lovely toys that can make a bedroom a wonderful place to be at night. The Primary Science™ Shining Stars Projector gives super images and is a captivating little gadget. Often parents of children with special needs know that they enjoy sensory play, but the reality of cleaning up after every play session can be a little draining! We love the Playfoam Combo 8 Pack – Playfoam is non toxic and it doesn’t stick to carpet – result! They don’t need to build anything marvellous, just the process of squishing and squashing is extremely good for motor skills. We suggest you also buy a cheap shower curtain from the supermarket for about £1 – this provides great floor or table cover and is invaluable for a quick clear-up operation.
Time Team
Understanding the concept of time is particularly difficult for autistic children. It is an abstract concept – that is, the passing of time is a notion that you keep in your head. Autistic children rely on solid visual information. For those children who are in a mainstream school and ready to develop their understanding of time, we like About Time - Telling the Time & Understanding Elapsed Time.What’s particularly good about this kit is that it includes visual representations of quarter of an hour and half an hour, helping children to understand their relationship to an hour.  Some older school children with autism would benefit from this, too.
For Spin Doctors…
If the autistic child in your life enjoys watching things that spin around, then the Gears! Gears! Gears!®sets are a great bet. Not only can you support them to build, using fine motor skills, but at the end they have a fantastic, motivating visual activity. These gears sets can be appreciated on many levels. Parents can build for younger children and then start encouraging them to join in gradually. There are many sets to choose from – we loved the Gizmos Building Set and the Space Explorers Building Setbut if that’s a little outside your price range, the Build & Spin Flower Garden Building Set is also bound to be a hit.
Motor Skills
The Design & Drill® BrightWorksâ„¢ set stands out for us as toy that is perfect for children with special needs. The colourful plastic bolts and drill are solid and durable and even those with shaky hands can enjoy great success making patterns on the light-up drill board. As with any child who has a tendency to mouth toys, an adult needs to closely monitor play to ensure that they don’t try and eat the bolts or drill too much – which puts a strain on the motor. But with a little prompting, this is a very useful toy to develop fine motor skills. Because it lights up, it’s great sensory play, and very motivating.  Froggy Feeding Funâ„¢ is another good game to develop fine motor; squeeze the frog’s mouth to catch a treat. Great for counting skills and colour recognition, it also gives an easy reward – so encouraging! Â
Communication Fun
Developing attention, listening and copying skills will be much easier with the Magic Moves® Electronic Wand. This fun little gadget gives you ideas to copy - stomp like a dinosaur, swoop like an eagle, hop like a kangaroo! We suggest you join in too, and see what happens.Even if they’re not ready to copy movement, it also has 26 random tunes and twinkling lights. Fun on lots of levels.
Other Ideas
Vehicles tend to be popular with autistic kids, as they have a definite purpose and the repetitive movement of them can be quite comforting. Thomas the Tank Engine is particularly popular. Find out which track the child owns and buy an interesting new piece for it. Many autistic kids love their iPads or computers. Colourful keyboards or a keyboard mouse might be a nice bet (you can even get large letter keyboards if their hand-eye co-ordination isn’t up to much). Cordless headphones that use Bluetooth can save endless headaches, as getting a fiddly jack into an iPad wearing a protective case can be a struggle. Most kids have collections of some sort, particularly as many computer games now have associated interactive figures. When an autistic child builds a collection, this isn’t just an ordinary haphazard semi-completed collection, oh no. You may hear the term ‘special interest’ in relation to autism. All this means is, when autistic kids like something, they like it A LOT. Their collection will be cherished; their collection will be complete; and having to complete it is the nightmare of most parents of autistic kids. So seek out the figures that they don’t already own. If you want to spend money on something that doesn’t gather dust, this is it.
Say it with Slogans
Parents spend so much extra on special needs children that they often don’t have as much disposable income as they’d like to spend on clothing. Positive messages are great signals for the public and families alike. Just check out any sensory sensitivities before you buy. You can get specialist autism T-shirts with positive slogans on them, dreamt up by AuKids magazine, from www.aukids.co.uk or www.finsdesignandprint.co.uk For more advice on autism, sign up for AuKids magazine for £16 a year at www.aukids.co.uk
The Autism Friendly Tool Box A Guest Post by AuKids Magazine Name: Debby ElleyTitle: Co-editor AuKids magazineAge of children: Twins aged 13 For Autism Awareness Day we’ve teamed up with Debby from AuKids, a parenting magazine for those raising and educating children with autism, to provide personal product recommendations and tips about buying presents for autistic children.Social communication difficulties mean that pretend play often carries little interest for them early on. Motor planning can also be affected and so toys that require building may prove frustrating.  Our first piece of advice when buying for an autistic child: never guess. If you want to be known for thoughtful presents, prepare by asking mum or dad the type of thing their youngster likes. Some autistic children don’t like surprises or change very much, even when it comes to birthdays. It’s a nice idea to give them some suggestions – with images – and let them choose between them.  Sensory PlayIn children with autism, the sensory exploration stage is very important and often very engaging, too. Sensory toys can be fantastic for these children, but do check with their carers whether they have any sensitivities or aversions. The Sand Moulds Lowercase Alphabet is a good bet, helping finemotor skills as they pack the sand into a letter shape. It’s also an opportunity for parent and child to use simple language together whilst they have shared attention. This is the best way for autistic children to pick up new vocabulary.We love toys that combine sensory fun with learning as they can be appreciated on different levels. Sensory rooms for children with autism can be very expensive – but there are some lovely toys that can make a bedroom a wonderful place to be at night. The Primary Science™ Shining Stars Projector gives super images and is a captivating little gadget. Often parents of children with special needs know that they enjoy sensory play, but the reality of cleaning up after every play session can be a little draining! We love the Playfoam Combo 8 Pack – Playfoam is non toxic and it doesn’t stick to carpet – result! They don’t need to build anything marvellous, just the process of squishing and squashing is extremely good for motor skills. We suggest you also buy a cheap shower curtain from the supermarket for about £1 – this provides great floor or table cover and is invaluable for a quick clear-up operation.
Time Team
Understanding the concept of time is particularly difficult for autistic children. It is an abstract concept – that is, the passing of time is a notion that you keep in your head. Autistic children rely on solid visual information. For those children who are in a mainstream school and ready to develop their understanding of time, we like About Time - Telling the Time & Understanding Elapsed Time.What’s particularly good about this kit is that it includes visual representations of quarter of an hour and half an hour, helping children to understand their relationship to an hour.  Some older school children with autism would benefit from this, too.
For Spin Doctors…
If the autistic child in your life enjoys watching things that spin around, then the Gears! Gears! Gears!®sets are a great bet. Not only can you support them to build, using fine motor skills, but at the end they have a fantastic, motivating visual activity. These gears sets can be appreciated on many levels. Parents can build for younger children and then start encouraging them to join in gradually. There are many sets to choose from – we loved the Gizmos Building Set and the Space Explorers Building Setbut if that’s a little outside your price range, the Build & Spin Flower Garden Building Set is also bound to be a hit.
Motor Skills
The Design & Drill® BrightWorksâ„¢ set stands out for us as toy that is perfect for children with special needs. The colourful plastic bolts and drill are solid and durable and even those with shaky hands can enjoy great success making patterns on the light-up drill board. As with any child who has a tendency to mouth toys, an adult needs to closely monitor play to ensure that they don’t try and eat the bolts or drill too much – which puts a strain on the motor. But with a little prompting, this is a very useful toy to develop fine motor skills. Because it lights up, it’s great sensory play, and very motivating.  Froggy Feeding Funâ„¢ is another good game to develop fine motor; squeeze the frog’s mouth to catch a treat. Great for counting skills and colour recognition, it also gives an easy reward – so encouraging! Â
Communication Fun
Developing attention, listening and copying skills will be much easier with the Magic Moves® Electronic Wand. This fun little gadget gives you ideas to copy - stomp like a dinosaur, swoop like an eagle, hop like a kangaroo! We suggest you join in too, and see what happens.Even if they’re not ready to copy movement, it also has 26 random tunes and twinkling lights. Fun on lots of levels.
Other Ideas
Vehicles tend to be popular with autistic kids, as they have a definite purpose and the repetitive movement of them can be quite comforting. Thomas the Tank Engine is particularly popular. Find out which track the child owns and buy an interesting new piece for it. Many autistic kids love their iPads or computers. Colourful keyboards or a keyboard mouse might be a nice bet (you can even get large letter keyboards if their hand-eye co-ordination isn’t up to much). Cordless headphones that use Bluetooth can save endless headaches, as getting a fiddly jack into an iPad wearing a protective case can be a struggle. Most kids have collections of some sort, particularly as many computer games now have associated interactive figures. When an autistic child builds a collection, this isn’t just an ordinary haphazard semi-completed collection, oh no. You may hear the term ‘special interest’ in relation to autism. All this means is, when autistic kids like something, they like it A LOT. Their collection will be cherished; their collection will be complete; and having to complete it is the nightmare of most parents of autistic kids. So seek out the figures that they don’t already own. If you want to spend money on something that doesn’t gather dust, this is it.
Say it with Slogans
Parents spend so much extra on special needs children that they often don’t have as much disposable income as they’d like to spend on clothing. Positive messages are great signals for the public and families alike. Just check out any sensory sensitivities before you buy. You can get specialist autism T-shirts with positive slogans on them, dreamt up by AuKids magazine, from www.aukids.co.uk or www.finsdesignandprint.co.uk For more advice on autism, sign up for AuKids magazine for £16 a year at www.aukids.co.uk
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Name of tester: Kerri HibberdTitle: Class TeacherSchool name: Woodside AcademyAge of child: Three years oldAge of school class: Reception; ages four and fiveProduct Testing: Alphabet Acorns Activity Set “Kerri has been a teacher for 11 years. She is currently the phonics co-ordinator at her school and works part time. The rest of the time she is at home with her 3 year old daughter.â€
Ratings:
What were your first thoughts when the product arrived?
I was impressed with how colourful it was. My daughter was very excited and she couldn’t wait to get it out of the box.
How did you use the product?
With my daughter at home, we first found all the matching objects for each letter. She enjoyed using the resource so much that we used it every day for the next week. To extend her learning we tried to use the resource in different ways. We matched upper and lowercase letters and then found all three matching parts, the uppercase letter, lowercase letter and object. I also used this resource for phonics teaching. I chose a letter and asked her to find the object beginning with the same sound and then did this the other way around by choosing an object and asking her to find the matching acorn parts. As she is young and doesn’t know all her sounds yet she needed a little support.
How did you use this product in the classroom?
Within the classroom I used this resource in two different ways, first as an exploration activity for independent learning. I set it up with other outside objects and allowed the children to explore. Some children used it as a matching activity and matched the upper and lowercase letters while others tried to find the matching objects. As a teacher focus I used it as a matching the initial sound and object activity and was also able to assess the children’s phonic and letter knowledge.
What are the educational benefits of the resource?
There are lots of benefits to this resource as it can be used in different ways such as letter and grapheme correspondence, initial letter sounds, matching upper and lowercase letters and even sorting colours. There’s even more ideas in the box!
What did you like/dislike about the resource?
To make this even more appealing for schools I think an alternative ‘qu’ should be added. This will enable the resource to be used for phonic activities as well as alphabet activities. I loved this resource and it was very appealing to my daughter and children at the school. I liked the bright colours used and that the letters on the front of the acorn, lid and object all matched in colour so younger children, like my daughter, or less able children, could be told to look for a blue object that matched or a red top etc.
What is the long term appeal of the resource?
Very good as it also fits in with different topics and stories so can be linked to learning in lots of different ways.
Is the product unique?
The acorn idea is unique and appealing but there are otherproducts on the market for matching objects and letters. #LoveLearning
Tried and Tested: Alphabet Acorns Name of tester: Kerri HibberdTitle: Class TeacherSchool name: Woodside AcademyAge of child: Three years oldAge of school class: Reception; ages four and fiveProduct Testing: Alphabet Acorns Activity Set “Kerri has been a teacher for 11 years. She is currently the phonics co-ordinator at her school and works part time. The rest of the time she is at home with her 3 year old daughter.â€
Ratings:
What were your first thoughts when the product arrived?
I was impressed with how colourful it was. My daughter was very excited and she couldn’t wait to get it out of the box.
How did you use the product?
With my daughter at home, we first found all the matching objects for each letter. She enjoyed using the resource so much that we used it every day for the next week. To extend her learning we tried to use the resource in different ways. We matched upper and lowercase letters and then found all three matching parts, the uppercase letter, lowercase letter and object. I also used this resource for phonics teaching. I chose a letter and asked her to find the object beginning with the same sound and then did this the other way around by choosing an object and asking her to find the matching acorn parts. As she is young and doesn’t know all her sounds yet she needed a little support.
How did you use this product in the classroom?
Within the classroom I used this resource in two different ways, first as an exploration activity for independent learning. I set it up with other outside objects and allowed the children to explore. Some children used it as a matching activity and matched the upper and lowercase letters while others tried to find the matching objects. As a teacher focus I used it as a matching the initial sound and object activity and was also able to assess the children’s phonic and letter knowledge.
What are the educational benefits of the resource?
There are lots of benefits to this resource as it can be used in different ways such as letter and grapheme correspondence, initial letter sounds, matching upper and lowercase letters and even sorting colours. There’s even more ideas in the box!
What did you like/dislike about the resource?
To make this even more appealing for schools I think an alternative ‘qu’ should be added. This will enable the resource to be used for phonic activities as well as alphabet activities. I loved this resource and it was very appealing to my daughter and children at the school. I liked the bright colours used and that the letters on the front of the acorn, lid and object all matched in colour so younger children, like my daughter, or less able children, could be told to look for a blue object that matched or a red top etc.
What is the long term appeal of the resource?
Very good as it also fits in with different topics and stories so can be linked to learning in lots of different ways.
Is the product unique?
The acorn idea is unique and appealing but there are otherproducts on the market for matching objects and letters. #LoveLearning
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