Talking Namba: Making maths meaningful
About
All students have some difficulty moving from counting to more efficient means of calculating. For EALD students, especially those for whom international mathematics is not a culturally embedded practice, this shift can be a step too far. This is because it involves a sneaky switch between mathematical metaphors. Students who do not make this switch are not only stuck with inefficient ways of adding and subtracting but will find it very difficult to understand multiplication and, by extension, place value.In this session we’ll examine these metaphors and see how they impact language and understanding. We’ll also try some hands-on activities and have a go at developing some accessible language around them. Using either considered English or the students’ L1, we’ll investigate how the use of language can help students access more powerful ways of conceptualising number and calculation.
Location
Online event access details will be provided by the event organiser