How to Encourage Mathematical Thinking In Primary Maths Lessons

About this episode

Jon Cripwell discusses with Kate Henshall and Kat Martin how to encourage deeper mathematical thinking in primary maths lessons.

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon is joined by Kate Henshall and Kat Martin from Rethink Maths for a conversation about lesson design, task design and how we help children move beyond simply completing work towards deeper mathematical thinking. Kate and Kat share their own experiences of maths at school, including how conceptual understanding, representations and manipulatives transformed the way they thought about the subject. The conversation then explores what we really mean by foundational knowledge in maths, and why that phrase needs careful thought if it is to be useful in classrooms rather than just another piece of educational terminology. They discuss the importance of knowing what we want children to notice, how teachers can adapt schemes and resources without losing sight of the underlying principles, and why intellectual preparation matters even when high-quality materials are already available. There is also a strong focus on slowing down, asking better questions, choosing representations carefully and creating space for pupils to reason, explain and explore. Along the way, Jon, Kate and Kat consider the tension between coverage, accountability and…

People in this episode

Host: Jon Cripwell

Guests: Kate Henshall, Kat Martin

Topics covered

• mathematical thinking
• lesson design
• task design
• foundational knowledge
• conceptual understanding
• manipulatives
• oracy

Keywords

• mathematics
• education
• primary maths
• lesson design
• conceptual understanding
• manipulatives
• scaffolding
• oracy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rethink Maths

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