Content Teaching Tips

Why kids don’t get fractions

You may have noticed that kids have a few issues with fractions… but it can be tricky to understand what is going on, particularly when the difficulties only tend to

Making a physical pie chart in three ways

Pie charts are an awesome way of linking statistics, fractions and angles, however they can often be difficult for students to really understand. Here are a few simple ideas to

Teaching division with blocks and arrays

Let’s face it, kids really, really don’t get division.  Here are a few simple strategies to help make it happen. For more help, check out Fixing Misconceptions in Multiplication and

Developing multiplicative thinking

Simple ideas for assessing and develop multiplicative thinking It can be tricky to work out what our students really understand, and what they struggle with.  Here are a few short

Introducing two-digit numbers

It can be tricky for a lot of students to see the need for bundling. Often students in early primary (and sometimes later than that) will have an understanding of

The missing link from Place Value: Relative Size

Place value is one of the Big Ideas in number identified by Dr Dianne Siemon during the National Middle Years project as pivotal for later mathematical development. Students who are

Open Number Lines

Open number lines can be one of the best teaching tools ever.  Here are a few of our favourite ideas for how to use them: Use the line for base

Easter Maths Ideas

Here are a few simple ideas for Easter maths: Mini-Investigation: Compare the value-for-money of a range of Easter eggs vs bars of chocolate.  You will need to decide what parameters

Simple Ideas for Teaching Volume and Capacity

This week I have enjoyed thinking about creative ways to look at volume and capacity.  I couldn’t resist snapping a picture of a great example of a right prism (the

Timely thoughts on analogue time

It is not all that often these days that I meet someone in the course of running Professional Development who seriously challenges my thinking.  I love it when it happens. 

Multistep with money

Money is a common multistep problem that tends to pop up regularly on NAPLAN. It is also a very easy way to introduce algebra or fractions in a meaningful way.

Multistep problems with money

Introduction: Be aware that students working at a C level are only expected to work out whether they have ‘enough’ money rather than calculate the change. A level students are

Relative Size of Numbers through Number Lines

This problem will help you check whether or not your students have the “base ten” concept. Adaptations for each grade follow the problem. 1. Draw a chalk line across your

Place Value and Base Ten

What comes after 100? 101, 102, 103… 109, 200!! We often use hundreds charts to help children understand place value, but these generally stop at 100. Many students think that

Which half is the biggest?

Take an A4 sheet of paper and hold it up in front of the class. Ask them if they could fold it to make one half. Ask for as many