Playful Maths Pedagogy BLOG

  • 'Not that BUT THIS!'

     Hello! You've found the landing page to NOT THAT BUT THIS:  A fusion of theory, experiences and practical support  to help you raise children who ...
  • Boost Number Fluency with Retrieval Practice

    Have you ever wondered how to support children to recall key facts from their learning? Boost your learners MATHS LEARNING with RETRIEVAL PRAC...
  • Why can't my kids remember their multiplication facts and how to help them!

    Vivid memories of learning multiplication facts? Did you learn a song for every fact? Use the nines finger trick?  Times tests; public competitiv...
  • What no-one is really telling you about NUMBER SENSE

     I'm sharing EMPOWERING, INSPIRING and EDUCATING ways that you can help your learners build that 🌟all important🌟 NUMBER SENSE.   And the best way to develop fluency with numbers is to develop NUMBER SENSE,  NOT to blindly memorise without number sense.

    We have expanded on the key ideas and suggested mathematical activities which will help to develop these important aspects of mathematics.

  • "Carrying" and "Borrowing" Let's Stop the Rot...

    I'm just going to jump right in a start by saying It’s time to build mathematics programmes that instil understanding and confidence in all, engag...
  • Maths Picture Storybooks

    Parents and teachers understand first hand the power of STORIES for children’s development of language and early literacy. Fewer make use of storie...
  • Making mathematical moments count: Maximising opportunities for learning maths throughout the day

    Based on the best available international research – and drawing on the expertise of teachers and academics we've put together a few of our favourite MATHS ROUTINES and included a FREE useful digital download for each. 

  • Mindfully or Mindlessly?

    I have suggested that there are two ways to approach mathematics: mindfully and mindlessly. We need to adopt different styles of pedagogy for these learning outcomes. 

    Too much of current practice raises mindless learning over the mindful. 

  • Exploring the MATHS Summer Slide...

    The so-called “summer slide” AKA “summer learning loss” always sparks a discussion…But the results from this latest study are worth considering bec...
  • There’s no magic in Maths MANIPULATIVES…

    That’s right, there’s no magic in that plastic! (Although, truth be told, we don’t do plastic around here.) Those MANIPLUATIVES  have the potential to be powerful TOOLS for sense making and thinking.

     

     

     

  • Subitising through the years...

    Although subitising is too often a neglected quantifier in educational practice, it has been extensively studied as a critical cognitive process....
  • 4 BIG IDEAS about MULTIPLICATION

    Ok, so you want to guide learners towards FLUENCY with their TIMES TABLES and build AUTOMATICITY with multiplication facts by focusing on RELATIONSHIPS. Here are 4 BIG  IDEAS about MULTIPLICATION you need to know before you begin...