Big Ideas in Primary Mathematics - Softcover

Newell, Robert

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1473913179 ISBN 13: 9781473913172

Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2016

Synopsis

Lightbulb moments for you and your pupils

This book explores the ‘big ideas’ in maths to help trainee teachers confidently teach the curriculum in a way that engages children and focuses on understanding, rather than memory, for those lightbulb moments.

Covering the major concepts in simple terms, whilst carefully linking to the National Curriculum, it shows how they can be used to enable learning and support mathematical mastery.

A focus on explaining misconceptions and errors will strengthen trainees and teachers own mathematical subject knowledge, while also giving them the confidence to deepen their understanding of the children they teach.

Key topics include:

• Problem-solving, reasoning and developing fluency in maths
• Place value and counting systems
• Measuring money, time and weight
• Geometry, and understanding space and shape
• Fractions and statistics for the primary classroom

This is essential reading for anyone studying primary mathematics on initial teacher education courses, including undergraduate (BEd, BA with QTS) and postgraduate (PGCE, PGDE, School Direct, SCITT) routes, and also NQTs.

Robert Newell is a tutor in primary education at the UCL Institute of Education, London.

About this title

Review:

How to actually teach problem solving beyond simply giving children problems  actually presents a great challenge to teachers. There is a drive towards ‘mastering’ mathematics through using skills , knowledge, reasoning and creativity that makes this book an essential guide for teachers attempting to develop this area of their children’s learning.  The author encourages us to consider our pedagogy, assessment and differentiation through  some useful example activities, as well as the overall approach in schools to promoting mathematical thinking , fluency and confidence. This is an essential book for trainee and new teachers, and should be on staffroom bookshelves. 

(Nick Tinsdeall 2016-03-14)

Beginning teachers looking to build their subject knowledge and confidence in teaching mathematics will find this book invaluable. It uses the exploration of ‘big ideas’ to guide the reader through the trickier areas of the mathematics curriculum, building understanding to allow beginning teachers to explain key ideas, model mathematical reasoning and address errors and misconceptions with confidence.

(Catherine Foley 2016-04-06)

For non-specialists, the focus on explaining misconceptions and errors will strengthen their own mathematical subject knowledge, while also giving them the confidence to deepen the understanding of the children they teach.

The perfect book for anyone studying primary mathematics on initial teacher education courses, including undergraduate (BEd, BA with QTS) and postgraduate (PGCE, PGDE, School Direct, SCITT) routes, and also NQTs. Clearly written, it's a book that can be dipped into at any stage of teaching, giving practical advice and reassurance. (Sarah Brew)

About the Author:

Robert Newell has worked at the Institute of Education (IOE) for 15 years; full time for the last six. He works with Primary PGCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education) trainees and School Direct students; he has previously worked with Teach First participants. His career started as a primary school teacher, taking responsibility in maths in several schools before progressing to two deputy head posts and then a Headteacher role.

Primary maths teaching though, has been his biggest passion. He has worked as a numeracy consultant and also delivered a PGCE Maths programme to a London SCITT (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training centre) for three years. He is now part of a small maths team serving several hundred trainees at the IOE, now merged with UCL (University College London). He has two passions that underpin his work. One is ensuring that primary maths children are taught in a way that engages them and focuses on understanding. The other is the belief that, in the main, it is only anxiety that stops more trainees feeling comfortable about teaching maths. Part of his working role at the IOE is linked to supporting trainees with less secure understanding and allowing them to see how much they can offer. Many realise that although anxiety has affected their self-perception about mathematical understanding, this process can be reversed.

His dissertation focused on the different ways trainee teachers can learn to use different levels of understanding effectively in their primary school maths teaching. Here, he commits to print a range of ideas and activities, refined over many years and linked to ensuring all primary teachers can teach for understanding. His first book, also published through SAGE, entitled Big Ideas in Primary Maths came out in 2017. It aimed to support trainees and teachers seeking to learn to teach for understanding.

About this edition

• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1473913179
• ISBN 13: 9781473913172
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320