It is natural that kids’ experience of maths while learning at home will vary widely. To ensure your class works well over the remaining months of the year, we have put together some tools to support you. Please find below some diagnostic tests to use, webinars on using diagnostic tools and developmental sequencing, webinars on key number concepts to focus on, a suggested six-month work program, and a link to an article on misconceptions to help as well as data analysis information and tools to help with whole-school planning. Remember as well to check out our summary of research on intervention, which includes a recorded webinar on high-yield strategies.
For the remainder of term 2:
We have written this data investigation on Breakfast foods with curriculum links for Foundation-Year 7 that can be used for 2-3 weeks.
We also suggest that you use the following diagnostic tests to determine quickly what your students know and what they need. Each of test contains 3-4 oral questions to use with a whole class, followed by grouping students based on responses and a second, more targeted test. The downloadable files include a recording sheet. We also suggest watching the recorded webinar below on Diagnostic Tools and Developmental Sequencing. If you need more detailed diagnostic tests for number topics, scroll down further to access tests for 5 topics as well as webinars on key concepts in number.
For terms 3-4:
We have put together a six month work program that can be used for terms 3 and 4. It has 3-4 lessons per week, for 8 weeks out of each term. The program contains AC descriptors, an outline of how to spend your time, a good description of what to do and how to sequence the learning. As an added bonus, members of our website can use the links to go directly to the suggested lessons to download.
We suggest that you use the remaining 1-2 lessons per week, plus 2 weeks per term, for consolidation, review of all concepts, maths games, and intervention as necessary. The work program also indicates the parts of the Achievement Standard still outstanding for each year level (less than 5%) so that you can work out how to best apportion your remaining time.
Webinar on diagnostic tools and developmental sequencing:
Interventions in Mathematics Diagnostic Tests for each concept
We also have tests that target specific number concepts linked with our Interventions in Mathematics series. Feel free to download the following tests with answers to find out more specifically what your students need. The interventions series is designed to supplement your teaching and catch students up on the most important aspects of number, quickly. It has been used in peer-reviewed research, showing an added effect size (above normal expectations for 12 months) of 0.7 for primary school students.
- Early primary – number quantity and partitioning oral test
- place value
- multiplicative thinking
- upper primary and junior secondary diagnostic test
and the interpretation with student samples - proportional reasoning in fractions
- decimals and percent
Key concepts in maths for F-3 and 4-9
To help you understand which key concepts are most important for each stage, feel free to watch the following free webinars.
Data analysis resources for leaders
The graph above shows some of the data from our peer-reviewed research projects. An effect size of 0.7 was produced for every year of the project, over the expected 12 month growth levels published by the Department. More information and copies of our papers are available at this link.
Want more?
- I want to look at the interventions book series
- Check out our training options
- Find out about misconceptions